Bulldogs get early jump on Eagles, roll to 9-1 victory

ORAN -- Good pitching wins its share of softball games. So does timely hitting.

Notre Dame combined the two Tuesday afternoon and, in the process, made life miserable for host Oran, rolling to a 9-1 victory over the Eagles.

Notre Dame's Nikki Peters flirted with a no-hitter, settling instead for six innings of three-hit, shutout ball, while Jessica Westrich went 3 for 4 to lead a Bulldogs offense that rapped out 12 hits.

"I thought that right there was one of the best all-around games we've played this year," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett as the Bulldogs improved to 15-2. "[Oran is] a good hitting team, and Nikki shut them out for six innings."

Peters didn't allow a hit through 5 1/3 innings until Oran's Addie Kielhofner barely beat out a slow roller to third, but she was quickly erased on an attempted steal of second. And infield single and a shot fly that fell between three fielders put runners at first and second, but Peters induced Allison Cummins to fly out to right to end the threat.

Peters said her curveball was working and allowed her to keep the Eagles' batters guessing.

"Just mixing my pitches inside and out so they didn't know what was coming, and trying to hit my spots," said Peters, who improved to 10-2 on the season.

Peters walked one and struck out five before giving way to Haylie Santos, who pitched the final inning.

Graviett said his junior righthander is beginning to settle in as the Bulldogs' top starter.

"She's grown up," he said. "She had some success last year as a sophomore and she's taken that step up as a junior, and she's gonna have more [success]. She's really taken command of the game."

Notre Dame’s Conner Elfrink bunts against Oran during the third inning Tuesday in Oran, Mo. Elfrink reached first base safely and drove in a run on the play. (Fred Lynch)

Helping Peters was a Bulldogs offense that scored at least one run in each of the first six innings. Westrich doubled in Tiffany Wood, who had walked, to plate the game's first run in the top of the first.

Two hits and a couple errors led to two more Bulldog runs in the second, and an Oran throwing error in the third plated two more as Notre Dame led 5-0 midway through the third inning.

"You get behind Notre Dame and you're in trouble," said Oran coach Jim Eftink, whose squad fell to 8-3. "They play sound defense, they have good pitching, and it's hard to come back against a team like that once you're behind."

Notre Dame continued to pour it on as a sacrifice fly and Westrich's RBI single -- her third straight hit -- plated two more runs in the fourth to make it 7-0.

Westrich said she just tried to keep from pulling the ball against Oran ace Aubrianna Jones (6-3).

"I knew it would be coming outside," Westrich said. "I just waited back for it. I'm used to pulling everything, so I just tried to hit it to the right side."

Peters acknowledged the early offense allowed her to relax on the mound.

"I have confidence in my teammates," she said. "When they get the lead it takes a lot of pressure off me."

Madeline Urhahn had an RBI double in the fifth, and Kayce Landewee scored from third on a wild pitch in the six for Notre Dame's final two runs.

"We really preach up here to try and get a run every inning," Graviett said. "Just try to use our team speed and go from base to base. If you can score five runs, you'll win your share of games. At this level, it's still pitching and defense that are the keys.

"We're not an offensive explosion team. We just chip away and get what we can."

Eftink said by the time his team had settled down, the game was already out of reach.

"[Notre Dame] was swinging their bats, and they had a few bloopers here and there that dropped in, and that just killed us," he said. "They took advantage of them. They've got good hitters up and down their lineup."

Notre Dame 122 211 0 -- 9 12 1

Oran 000 000 1 -- 1 6 3

WP: Nikki Peters (10-2). LP: Aubrianna Jones (6-3). Leading hitters: Notre Dame -- Jessica Westrich 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Christiana Scherer 2-4; Kayce Landewee 1-4, 2B; Madison Buelow 2-3; Madeline Urhahn 1-3, 2B. Records: Notre Dame 15-2, Oran 8-3.