BALTIMORE- The Notre Dame (MD) softball team swept Baruch College in their doubleheader on Sunday, Mar. 19. The Gators had an offensive outburst, powering to an 11-2 victory in game one and an 8-0 victory in game two. 
 
The Gators offense was led by Lilyian Hafner who finished the day 4-7 with a homerun, driving in five RBIs. In the circle in game one Gena Donalds and Kendall Snyder combined to throw 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. In game two, Jessie Leatherwood was dominant, throwing 6.0 innings of shutout softball, allowing only two hits while registering nine strikeouts.
 
GAME 1
The Gators (2-7 Overall) started quickly plating a run in the first inning. Donalds led-off the game with a single to right field and then stole second base. Miranda Burton hit a sharp ground ball to second base, allowing Donalds to score and giving NDMU a 1-0 lead.
 
NDMU had an offense eruption in the second inning. Emily Bonnett led-off the inning by drawing a walk. After Candace Forgach-Aguilar reached on an error, Donalds drove a single up the middle and another error allowed two runs to score. Burton scored Donalds again, this time with a single to center field, making the score 4-0. Hafner broke the game open, smashing a two-run homerun over center field fence to extend their lead to six. 
 
Baruch (2-3 Overall) tried to climb back into the game, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning. NDMU had a response in the bottom of the fourth inning. Emma Livingston started the rally by getting hit by a pitch. After Burton drove a single up the middle, Leatherwood launched a triple into right center field, plating two more runs. Later in the inning, Scarlet Miller singled to bring home Leatherwood. Forgach-Aguilar capped off the rally with a two RBI single to left that gave NDMU an 11-2 lead. In the top of the fifth inning, Snyder came in for relief of Donalds, pitching the final inning securing the mercy rule victory. 
 
GAME 2 
The Gators (3-7 Overall) continued rolling, grabbing an early lead in the first inning. Donalds led-off the inning with a single up the middle and then stole second to put herself in scoring position. Burton then blasted a single up the middle, bringing home the first run of the game. NDMU tacked on another run in the third inning. Livingston started the inning by getting hit by a pitch and then she used her speed to advance to third base. Hafner drove in her first RBI of the game, driving a single through the left side to give the Gators a 2-0 lead. 
 
NDMU used a phenomenal pitching performance from Leatherwood to keep the Bearcats (2-4 Overall) off-balance. Leatherwood allowed just two hits and three baserunners during her 6.0 innings of action. 
 
The Gators pulled away in the fifth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, Miller hammered a single up the middle, driving in two more runs. NDMU had a chance to put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning. Burton doubled to center field driving in a run to make the score 5-0. Hafner extended the lead, crushing another double to center field allowing two more runs to score. Needing one run to clinch the mercy rule victory, Leatherwood blasted a ball to short, allowing Hafner to beat a throw home, clinching the victory. 
 
WHO'S NEXT 
The Gators will hit the road and travel to Front Royal, Va. to take on Christendom College on Thursday, Mar. 23 in a doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
 
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