WMU vs. Notre Dame Game Stats

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan softball scored four runs over two innings but had spotted Notre Dame too large of a cushion to complete the comeback as the Broncos fell to the Fighting Irish, 13-4, in six innings in their home opener on Wednesday evening.  Gracie Barstad continued her hot hitting with her second home run of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth inning.

Trailing 11-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Western Michigan's offense woke up with three runs on three hits in the frame.  Lexi Jager doubled down the left field line, the Broncos' second double of the game, to lead off the fifth.  Barstad stepped to the plate looking for her first hit on the day and WMU's third to that point.  She stroked a 1-0 offering from Galesburg, Mich., native Jackie Bowe over the left field wall to make the score 11-3 in favor of the Irish.

After the long ball, Bowe had trouble finding the plate, giving up three-straight walks after Courtney Rousseau followed Barstad with a base hit to right field.  Meredith Whitney, Michelle Bendewald and Kayla Houston all drew walks with Houston's bringing Whitney across the plate for WMU's fourth run of the game.

The Broncos held Notre Dame scoreless through two and two-third innings, escaping out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the second, before the Irish broke the game open with a two-out grand slam off the bat of Christine Lux to score Alexa Maldonado, Sadia Pitzenberger and Kristina Wright.  Th Irish broke the game wide open in their next at bat, plating seven runs on nine hits, all single base knocks.

After WMU climbed to within seven runs through five innings, Notre Dame added two more runs to the board when Wright tagged a 1-2 pitch from Houston over the center field wall.

Western Michigan registered the game's first hit when Whitney led off the second inning with a double, her team-leading fifth of the year, that reached the center field wall.  Defensively, the Broncos retired five of the first six batters faced.  Houston and Jenn Tschetter also recorded hits against Notre Dame on Wednesday.

WMU will travel to St. Louis, Mo., for the University of St. Louis Tournament this weekend (March 20-21).  The Broncos will face the Billikens and Iowa State twice each during the two-day tourney.  The next time Western Michigan has a game at Fran Ebert Field, it will be the Mid-American Conference opener, a doubleheader against Buffalo on April 2.