Notre Dame moves to D-I regional final

Eagles top North Royalton 6-4 in 10 innings

5/23/2012

CLYDE -- Displaying remarkable resiliency and incredible heart Notre Dame was down to its last out before rallying in extra innings to win a Division I regional semifinal today.

In a terrific battle with North Royalton, the Eagles trailed 4-0 before tying the game with two outs in the seventh inning. Notre Dame then plated the two winning runs in the 10th inning to take a 6-4 victory at Clyde's Joe Wilson Field.

Notre Dame pitcher Cassie Gillespie helped her cause as the sophomore went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs. Gillespie smacked a 230-foot home solo home run to go along with two doubles.

First baseman Nikki Wilkins led off the 10th inning with a double and later scored the decisive run on a fielder's choice. Left fielder Jenna Inman then made it 6-4 on Molly Walters' infield single.

Gillespie, who scattered nine hits and had four strikeouts, then ended it the 10th when Walters made a great running catch in center to record the final out. Walters also threw the potential winning run out at the plate to end the eighth inning.

Notre Dame (18-12) advances to the program's first regional title game here on Saturday at noon. The Eagles play the winner of Thursday's other D-I semifinal between Perrysburg and Elyria.

North Royalton, which scored runs in the third and fifth innings and two in the fourth, bows out with a 24-6 record. The Bears had defeated the Eagles 10-1 in late April.