Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LaPLUME, Pa. – The Notre Dame softball split on the road Saturday against Colonial States Athletic Conference opponent Keystone College.  In a game that took extra innings, the Gators secured a comeback victory in the first game of their doubleheader, 6-5, in nine innings.  Despite posting an opening game homerun in their second game, solid pitching by the Giants kept the Gators bats quiet, as Notre Dame fell, 9-1.

In game one for Notre Dame, the Gators started from behind after giving up a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning.  With two outs in the top of the second inning, senior Margaret Pedersen reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring senior Morgan Ward and senior Wendi Winkelman.

After a scoreless three frames, Notre Dame took the lead in the sixth inning off a single by Pedersen.  She scored Ward after she reached on a walk.  The Gator lead would be short-lived as the Giants put up three runs off four hits in the bottom of the inning. 

Notre Dame needed two runs in the top of the seventh to stay in the game.  With one down, freshman Hanna Moresman singled to put the tying run at the plate.  Freshman Katie Cardinal pinch ran for Morseman with sophomore Madison King at the plate.  King singled to center field to advance Cardinal to second.  Winkelman also hit a long single to center field, this time to score Cardinal from second base.  After a strikeout by Ward and now two outs, freshman Naudiya Hopkins reached on an error by the third base to score King, tying the game at five apiece.  The Gators would hold the Giants at the bottom of the inning, to move the game into extra frames.

A scoreless eighth inning by both teams would see the game come down to the ninth inning.  With two outs, Ward was the first to reach after beating the throw from shortstop.  Hopkins walked in her at bat to move Ward to second base.  The Gators used an error by the shortstop for Keystone in Pedersen's at bat to score Ward from second.  In the bottom of the ninth Notre Dame faced only three batters.  Two pop outs and a groundout by Keystone would see the Gators secure the 6-5 victory.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Notre Dame struggled to manufacture runs.  In her first at bat of the game, freshman Isa Carunungan recorded her second homerun of the season to put the Gators on the board first.  The Gators fell in five innings, 9-1.

Notre Dame returns to action next week.  With next week being the last game of the regular season, the Gators will play three doubleheaders against conference teams.