u 12-0 lead against Rhode Island erased because
By MATT LOZAR
Sports Editor
When everything started to click for the Irish, they had to go home.
With Monday's game against Rhode Island starting two hours later than originally scheduled, the Irish were forced to leave the game in order to catch their flight home.
When the game was called, the Irish were ahead 12-0 after four innings. Five innings are necessary for a game to be official and all the statistics from the Rhode Island game are erased.
Overall at the season-opening USF/Wilson Tournament, the Irish split their four games and stand at 2-2 to start the season.
Being a team from a cold climate hurt Notre Dame in its first game of the season. The Irish faced South Florida, who was playing its 12th game of the year already.
With a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Notre Dame pitcher Steffany Stenglein had the bases loaded and one out. Stenglein got South Florida second baseman Kaitrina Dowd to hit a fly ball to Notre Dame centerfielder Megan Ciolli.
But Ciolli dropped the would-be sacrifice fly and gave South Florida an extra out.
The Bulls took advantage scoring three more runs to take a 4-3 lead.
The Irish came back to tie the game in the top of the seventh with second baseman Alexis Madrid scoring from second on freshman catcher Mallorie Lenn's single to right.
The Bulls made the Irish pay once again for an error in the bottom of the seventh as Notre Dame freshman pitcher Heather Booth misplayed a sacrifice bunt.
Two batters later, the Bulls scored the winning run on a single by first baseman Carmela Liwag and beat the Irish 5-4.
After picking up the loss in her first collegiate game, Booth came right back in the night cap Saturday and allowed only one run in five innings for Notre Dame against Kent State. Combined with two shutout innings of relief from sophomore Carrie Wisen, the Irish picked up their first win of the season 5-1.
Third baseman Andrea Loman led off the second inning against the Golden Flashes with a homerun. First baseman Lisa Mattison followed with a double and Sara Schoonaert, pinch-running for Mattison, scored on a single from fellow freshman Meagan Ruthrauff.
Kent State came back with one run in the bottom of the second.
The Irish then took control of the game on a two-run single from Ruthrauff through the left side and held a 4-1 lead.
The Irish picked up an insurance run in the sixth when freshman Kellie Middleton scored on an error.
On Sunday, the Irish split their games again, this time winning the first and dropping the second.
Scoreless until the fourth against Jacksonville, the Irish put two on the board in the bottom of the inning.
Ruthrauff doubled home Loman and Schoonaert, pinch-running for Ruthrauff, stole third and came home on a sacrifice fly from Lenn to give the Irish the 2-0 lead.
Jacksonville came back with one in the top of the fifth but Booth shut down the Dolphins for the rest of the game and picked up her second victory in as many games in Notre Dame's 2-1 win.
Hofstra jumped on Stenglein and the Irish in the bottom of the first. A rare error by Loman to start the inning, two walks, a triple and a wild pitch gave Hofstra the early 3-0 lead.
Three more runs by Hofstra in the second put Notre Dame in a deep 6-0 hole.
The team scored one in the fifth before the Irish mounted a rally in the sixth.
Down 7-1, Middleton came up with runners on second and third and two outs and hit her first collegiate home run and brought the Irish within four.
Hofstra recovered and sent the Irish down in order the rest of the way to preserve its 7-4 victory.
The Irish continue their warm weather play traveling to Georgia Friday and will play California, Illinois State and Alabama at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, February 18, 2003
