Irish shutout Butler in doubleheader
By RACHAEL PROTZMAN
Sports Writer
The Notre Dame softball team, after moving up to No. 18 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, shutdown Butler, 7-0 and 8-0. in a Wednesday doubleheader.
The Irish stand in first in the Big East with an overall record of 31-9 and 5-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs, who haven't scored a run in their past seven games, fell to 9-26 with the two losses.
"I can't emphasize how pleased I am with how great the team is doing," said pitcher Jennifer Sharron, "I thought we played really well. We came out and dominated offensively and set the tone for both games."
Shar-ron, the Big East pitcher of the week, struckout 10 while holding Butler to just two hits for her 16th win of the season. Sharron, who struckout 19 in 11.1 innings while allowing two runs last week, also earned her 11th shutout for the year.
Sophomore Jennifer Kriech and Melanie Alkire started the Irish offense, scoring on RBI singles in the first before Notre Dame grabbed three more runs in the second. Freshman Alexis Madrid earned another Irish run on a pitching error in the fourth before Jarrah Myers tripled and then scored on a double by Danielle Klayman.
Kriech kicked off game two action for the Irish with a double before scoring on an RBI single by freshman Andrea Loman the first. Madrid, Sharron and Kriech combined two singles and a double respectively to drive in three more Irish runs in the second. Alkire singled and scored in the third. Myers homered in the fifth to send in two runs while Rebecca Eimen scored on a double by Alkire in the sixth to send the Irish home early.
"As a pitcher, I know it's important to have a strong defense behind me and there's no other team I'd rather have behind me," Sharron said, "I wouldn't trade any of our players for anyone else in the division."
The Irish look to pick up another win today as they face DePaul in a doubleheader. The Blue Demons, who competed in the 1999 Collegiate World Series, currently stand at 15-14 and have won five of the last six games against Notre Dame. Game time is set for 3 p.m. at Ivy Field.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, April 13, 2000
