Irish edge Camels 4-3

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Rachel Nasland struck out a career-high 11 batters and Notre Dame held off Campbell 4-3 Tuesday night at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.

Sophomore pitcher Katie Baker clubbed her first career home run – a three-run shot – in the fifth inning and Campbell nearly missed two more long balls to fall just shy of the Atlantic Coast Conference squad that was nationally-ranked a week ago.

Nasland (6-5) scattered five hits and walked two in a complete-game effort for the Irish (13-9), who dropped three games in their ACC series opener over the weekend at NC State. Baker (7-4) allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings. Camel reliever Julia Callicutt tossed two innings of no-hit, shutout relief.

The Irish jumped in front in the opening inning when leadoff batter Karley Wester singled, stole second and later scored on a fielder's choice. Micaela Arizmendi smacked a two-run blast, her fourth homer of the year, to give the visitors an early 3-0 lead.

Campbell threatened in the third when Melissa Tullar drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Brittany Bruce's double. However, Nasland struck out Bailey Bjorson and got out of the inning on Karsen Leonhardt's soft liner to third.

Tullar nearly put the Camels on the board in the fourth, but her deep fly to left was caught by Wester leaning against the wall.

In the top of the fifth, Kimmy Sullivan drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on Wester's double, and eventually scored on a fielder's choice. Baker, however, avoided further damage when she struck out Arizmendi and ended the frame on Emily Koerner's fly out to center.

In the bottom of the frame, Bruce drove the ball to deep left-center, but Koerner stretched over the wall and brought the ball back to save the run. However, with two out, Leonhardt reached on a single to left and took second on Ericka Nesbitt's bunt single. Baker, a sophomore pitcher who did not have an official at-bat last season, drove the first pitch over the left center field fence to pull Campbell within a run.

Nasland only allowed one base runner – on Tullar's two-out single in the sixth – over the final two frames.

Wester finished 2-for-4 to lead Notre Dame's six-hit attack.

Nesbitt's fifth-inning single extended her hitting streak to six games. The senior shortstop has hit safely in 19 of Campbell's 21 games this season.

The Camels, who entered Tuesday's game 2-0 against ACC schools after wins earlier this season over Boston College and Virginia, host NC State Wednesday in a 4:00 p.m. doubleheader.

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