Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Notre Dame<br>(Kia Classic)
No. 10 Softball Reaches Quarterfinals in Kia Klassic
3/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2002
FULLERTON, Calif. - No. 10 Fresno State notched a 3-2 victory over Notre Dame and advances to the quarterfinals tonight where the Bulldogs will battle No. 9 CS Fullerton, 7:00 p.m., at the Kia Klassic.
Fresno State was trailing 1-0 on a home run by outfielder Megan Ciolli going into the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs answered with a three-run frame that included a pair of doubles on four hits. Freshman shorstop Leticia Pacheco recorded the game-winning hit with a two-out two-RBI double over the Notre Dame's left fielder's head.
Notre Dame responded back with a run in the top of the sixth courtesy of a fielder's choice and RBI by designated player Kas Hoag.
In the top of the seventh freshman right-hander Jamie Southern closed the door on the Fightin' Irish with seven pitches as she got the first two batters to ground out and induced the final batter, Ciolli, into a pop out to her.
Fresno State scored three runs on five hits and committed an error while Notre Dame had two runs on six hits with two errors.
With the win, Southern improved to 18-3 while totaling 202 strikeouts in 162.1 innings. Southern has won her last seven straight and 10 of the last 11.
In the fifth, Southern led off and flied out to center field. Senior third baseman Lindsay Fossatti followed with a double down the left field line. With junior Sha Oliver coming in to pinch run for Fossatti, sophomore designated player Lori Hoffman drilled a shot into center field to score Oliver. Hoffman advanced to third after the ball glanced off the UND center fielder's glove on the same play. Sophomore right fielder Mitzi Ing then came in to pinch run for Hoffman. Sophomore second baseman Pam Perez answered with an infield single to put runners on first and third. After Notre Dame brought in a new pitcher and got senior left fielder Lashme Gomez to fly out, Pacheco answered the call on a 1-1 offering as she hit a double over the UND's left fielder's head.
