The softball team lost to the 13-1 by the Notre Dame Tigers in a one-sided battle on Tuesday afternoon.
The game began with sophomore third baseman Juliana Pandolfo jumping on a soft hit and quickly throwing the ball to junior pitcher Elise Koo to secure the first out. Two more swift pop-ups gave the Bears confidence going into the bottom of the inning. After a few failed bunts, sophomore center fielder Emma Loose was able to hit a double far into left field early in the inning. With two singles after that, she was able to make it home. The next batters weren’t able to get on the bases, so the Bears ended the first inning 1-0.
It was a shaky start to the second inning for the Bears, with two of Notre Dame’s batters walking. After quickly refocusing on the pitcher’s mound, Koo threw three strikes back-to-back. Despite this, the Tigers were able to remain consistent at bat, only one of their outs came from striking out. With a single and a double from the left and center field, their two earlier walkers were able to steal third before making it back to home plate. By the end of the inning, the Tigers had secured two runs.
M-A wasn’t able to get anyone on base in the bottom of the second inning. “We knew they had a Georgetown commit pitching,” freshman Eliana Clapp said. “We knew how she pitched and that she hit her spots well. We just couldn’t execute.”
This gave the Tigers confidence going into the third inning. Their first two batters hit a single and a double, but that momentum was stopped by junior shortstop Carey Maletis who caught a hit towards third and quickly threw the ball to first for an out. The next Notre Dame batter bunted, and Pandolfo quickly got the ball to junior catcher Kylie Cox, cutting off the runner before they reached home.
A single right above first base and a double low and hard early in the inning put the Tigers in good spirits. Their third batter was able to walk, but the Bears were able to catch a hit headed towards third and throw it to first before the batter could make it there. The next batter hit the Tigers’ signature low and hard double.
A few more walks and singles put the Tigers up 7-1 halfway through the inning. Koo switched to left field and sophomore pitcher Gracy Nava stepped up to the mound. As soon as the next batter made contact with the ball, Koo made an impressive catch to end the Tigers’ series of relentless hits. When it was the Bears’ turn to hit, they were unable to capitalize, and the inning ended with Notre Dame up 7-1.
The Bears continued to put up a fight with three straight catches in the fourth inning, but the Tigers still managed to successfully get a run. Once the Bears went to bat, Maletis hit a triple, sending the ball far down the middle of the diamond, but the Bears still couldn’t find home.
The fifth inning started off with more of the Tigers’ best hitters. Maletis dove in front of second base to catch a powerful hit from Notre Dame and cut them off from another series of runs. Despite a few strong hits by the Bears, the Tigers continued to stay composed and maintain their sizable lead.
Kicking off the sixth inning, another one of Koo’s catches gave the Bears some energy. Loose caught one of the Tigers’ merciless hits, getting a quick two outs. The Bears were able to secure a third out with an effortless catch by Nava.
In the bottom of the inning, Cox hit a fast low ball down the middle and slid on to second base for the double. Unfortunately, the next few batters couldn’t deliver. The Bears were down 8-1.
By the seventh inning, both teams were struggling to keep the pace. The Tigers’ first hit landed right in Nava’s hands, and their next few runs were tight. Loose snagged the second out for the Bears by leaping for a ball in center field. With the bases loaded, singles turned into runs, and Notre Dame’s lead extended to 13-1.
Maletis was the only batter to make contact with the ball in the bottom of the seventh, yet her hit wasn’t enough to get her on base. The next two batters struck out, and the game concluded with the Bears losing 13-1.
“I definitely think communication and cleaning up the defense could have helped, especially in those last few innings. We were expecting them to be good, but we could have done better as well,” Maletis said.
“We needed to apply pressure. We had a few errors and started off strong. If we clean those up, we’ll be ready for our next game,” Koo said.
The Bears will face the El Camino Colts away on Friday at 4 p.m.
