Argos Sweep Dominican

March 16 – The Notre Dame de Namur softball team returned home and pulled off a sweep of Dominican, winning the first game 8-6 and the second game 4-0. The Argos used a combined 22 hits and a stellar pitching performance from Hillary Ruddick in game two to earn the victories.

The Argos jumped out to a big lead in the game one, plating five second inning runs and never looking back. After the first four batters reached on a pair of walks and a pair of singles, NDNU took a 1-0 lead. An error and another walk made it 2-0 before Hillary Ruddick ripped a two-run double to make the score 4-0. Later in the inning, Carli Leary added a run on a sacrifice fly.

Dominican trimmed the lead to two in the third, using two walks and three singles to plate three runs. After rain halted the game until today, the Argos extended their lead with three runs in the top of the fourth. Amanda Johnson led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a double by Carli Leary. After an RBI groundout by Sammy McConvey, Breanna Morales and Mary Ortega each plated a run with a single.

Michele McMahon rebounded from a rough third by allowing just one run over the next three innings. The Penguins tried to rally in the seventh, scoring two runs but ultimately fell short 8-6. McMahon allowed five runs over seven innings to pick up the victory while fanning three.

Ortega led the Argonaut offense with three hits and two RBIs while Johnson and Nicole Burr each picked up three hits.

Hillary Ruddick dominated the second game on the mound for NDNU, hurling a complete game, six-hit shutout in her first career start. The Argonaut offense also provided the fire power, using a pair of solo homeruns by Ortega and Leary to build a lead.

Morales got the scoring started in the first with an RBI double and Ortega provided another run in the second with a homerun to left. After being held scoreless in the third, Rosella De Alva drove home a run in the third and Leary added a solo shot in the fifth.

Ortega once again led the NDNU offense with two hits, two runs and a RBI while Johnson, De Alva and Morales also provided two hits apiece.

Ruddick was in command from the start, allowing just one hit in the first three innings and striking out five. She did not allow a runner past second base for the game and finished with six strikeouts

Argos Sweep CSU Stanislaus

February 23 – The Notre Dame de Namur softball team won their fifth and sixth consecutive games with a sweep of CSU Stanislaus. The Argos took the first game 9-4 after rebounding from an early deficit and won the second game 6-5.

NDNU found themselves down early in the first game with the Warriors scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Meanwhile, the Argonaut bats were quiet as starter Brittani Weatherford was perfect through four innings. In the top of the fifth, NDNU got going with a lead-off walk by Robyn Araujo. Jessie Frediani followed with a single before Hillary Ruddick drove both in with a double. Kayla Anderson knocked in the tying run with two down in the inning.

The Argos took the lead in the top of the sixth with Araujo belting a two-run homerun and Dani Gray driving in another run. Araujo delivered again in the seventh with another homerun, this time driving in three and putting the game out of reach.

The Argos kept the bats going in the second game, plating three runs in the top of the first. Mary Ortega and Araujo each drove in a run to give NDNU their fourth consecutive three run inning. NDNU added another run in the third and two more in the fourth to push their lead to 6-0.

The Warriors made things interesting after getting three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth but they were unable to tie the game. Hillary Ruddick picked up the victory for NDNU with four innings of work before Kristina Sewell closed out the game with three hitless innings.

The second game was all about the second inning. After pitchers Hillary Ruddick and Shiri Stevens cruised through the first inning, the NDNU bats put the game away in the top of the second. The Argos started off the inning with four hits and two errors to account for four runs. Rosella De Alva plated the first two runs with a two-run single before Mercedes Acosta plated another one with a single. The Seasiders then retired the next two batters before a third error extended the inning and the Argonaut offense exploded. McConvey drove in a pair with a single and De Alva once again delivered with a RBI double. Reyes tacked on one with a single and two more scored on an Allissa Castro double before Araujo belted a two run homerun to make it 15-0. Jessica Long drove in the final run with a double.

The Seasiders did their best to get back into the game, scoring five runs over the next two innings but it was too little too late as Mary Ortega finished off the game for Ruddick.

The Sea Warriors struck first in the second game, scoring two runs in the opening inning. However, the lead didn’t last long as NDNU answered back with a five run second. Dani Gray led the inning off with a solo homerun before Hillary Ruddick and Kayla Anderson delivered back-to-back singles. Reyes picked up an infield single of her own to load the bases for Allissa Castro who belted a two run single. Robyn Araujo followed with a two run single of her own to make the score 5-2.

Kristina Sewell was strong on the mound for NDNU, overcoming the two early runs to shutdown HPU for the next five innings. The Sea Warriors scored two in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run homerun by Caira Pires but it was too little too late. Sewell picked up the win with two earned runs in seven innings while striking out a career high 10.

Reyes was the hitting star for the Argonauts in the second game, going 4 for 4 with two runs and a stolen base. Gray and Anderson each hit solo homeruns while Araujo drove in three runs.

Hillary Ruddick - Notre Dame de Namur (So., 5-7, P/OF, R/R, Ukiah, CA/Ukiah)...helped NDNU to 5-1 week by posting a 2-0 mark on the mound...earned wins over BYU-Hawaii and Chaminade...registered a 2.80 ERA in two starts and 10.0 innings of action...tossed one complete game...struck out eight...allowed three earned runs.