April 16, 2005

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College softball team (25-12, 3-5 BIG EAST) lost a pair of BIG EAST Conference games against Notre Dame (27-8, 6-0 BIG EAST) this afternoon at PC's Raymond Field. The Irish won Game One, 1-0, and Game Two, 5-4. The Friars look to snap their two-game skid with another BIG EAST Conference doubleheader on Sunday, April 17th, against Pittsburgh. First pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m.

Game One began as a classic pitchers duel as the two teams combined for two hits through the first five innings. Irish starter Steffany Stenglein fanned 11 of the first 15 batters she faced and held the Friars hitless though the first five frames. She was matched inning-for-inning by PC's senior starter Nicole Bartholomew (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) who did not allow an earned run all afternoon.

In the third, Notre Dame used a lead off single, followed by a PC throwing error to put runners on second and third with one out. A sac fly to left field by ND's Stephanie Brown plated pinch-runner Sarah Smith, and gave the Irish a 1-0 lead.

Providence trailed 1-0, as it entered the bottom of the seventh. Additionally, the Friars had yet to notch a hit as Stenglein, who totaled a career-high 15 strikeouts in the game, had faced just one batter above the minimum. Junior Michele Bowers (Staten Island, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the seventh frame with a single to centerfield, but that would be as close as PC would get, as the next three batters went in order.

In Game Two, PC trailed early as Notre Dame scored one in the top of the first inning, and a pair in the top of the second to lead, 3-0, at the end of two. The Friars answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Highlighting the comeback was a one-out, RBI-single to left by junior Elena Romero (Chula Vista, Calif.) and a two-out, two-run double to centerfield by senior Jackie Karsnia (Spring, Texas). It also marked the first double of the season for the Lone Star State native.

The Friars 4-3 lead would hold into the top of the seventh inning. PC starter Sara Surosky (Elmira, N.Y.) cruised through the first six frames as she allowed just two runs, one earned, off of four hits. She fared much different in the seventh though as a pair of two-out, RBI-doubles gave the Irish a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

Stenglein, who relieved ND starter Heather Booth in the second game with one out in the bottom of the sixth, allowed a one-out single to Bowers, bringing the tying run to the plate. But a pop up to second base, followed by another strikeout (Stenglein's 18th of the afternoon) gave ND the win, and the sweep.

PC softball hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday, April 17th at 11:00 a.m.