Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Overall Stats
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan came into Sunday's doubleheader against Notre Dame boasting a three-game winning streak but the Fighting Irish snapped the streak handing the Broncos a 5-0 loss in the opener and a 2-1 loss in eight innings in the finale. Highlighting the day for WMU was Danielle Daughtry, who homered for the first time this season, Kristi Strange, who's diving seventh inning catch helped Western Michigan force extra innings.
After losing game one, 5-0, WMU (10-7) and Krysten Shumaker (5-2) kept the Irish (13-10) bats quiet, allowing just four hits scattered over seven innings. She fanned seven Notre Dame batters in regulation. The only real jam she was in came in the seventh. Katie Laing singled with two outs. Linda Kohan followed with a base knock up the middle to two on with two out. Sarah Schoonaert ripped a hit into the outfield gap. It looked like the ball would easily fall in for an extra base hit when Strange went horizontal and laid out to make the inning-saving catch. It was one of four put outs for the junior in the game.
Western Michigan went quietly in the bottom of the seventh and Notre Dame took advantage of a pair of Bronco fielding errors in the top of the eighth to take a 2-0 lead.
Katie Niemi began WMU's half of the eighth with a groundout to first base. Daughtry followed with her first home run of the season and only the second of her career. Irish starter Brittney Barger (7-3) had thrown 128 pitches heading into Daughtry's at bat. The first offering was a ball. Barger's 130th pitch was her last as Daughtry lifted the 1-0 pitch over the left-center field wall to make the score, 2-1, before the ralley ended two batters later.
Notre Dame's pitching was unhittable in the first game, literally. Heather Booth (6-7), who also earned a save in the second game, and Kenya Fuemmler combined for the Irish's first no-hitter since March 30, 2005 against Valparaiso, also a combined no-no.
Notre Dame scored a run in the second and third innings before busting out for three runs in the fourth. Bronco starting pitcher Tricia VanDerSlik (3-4) took the loss despite striking out five batters. Kyla Sullivan relieved the senior, working 3.0 innings, fanning two and throwing 40 pitches.
Western Michigan will regroup and hit Fran Ebert Field again on March 28 when the Broncos host Oakland University. The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m.
