(NORTH CANTON, Ohio) – Former rivals Walsh and Notre Dame split a non-conference twin bill on an overcast Thursday afternoon at the Walsh Softball Complex. The Cavaliers (17-10) took Game 1 by a score of 6-2 while the Falcons (17-21) took the night cap 9-1 in five innings.

The Cavaliers had little trouble with their opponents in the first game. Walsh scored three runs in the opening frame and never looked back. Nikkie Newman (So., North Royalton, OH/HS), Marissa Bondoni (Jr., Alliance, OH/HS), and Danni Murtaugh (Fr., Dover, OH/HS) all had RBI hits as Newman, Bondoni, and Sam Troxell (Sr., Cuyahoga Falls, OH/HS/Youngstown State) all scored.

Walsh added another pair when Jo Nicodemus (So., Cuyahoga Falls, OH/Archbishop Hoban) singled to right to bring home Jenna Head (So., Mantua, OH/Crestwood) and Murtaugh home to make the score 5-1 in the bottom of the third. Head later homered to left field in the bottom of the fifth.

Olivia Pifer (Fr., Loveland, OH/HS) picked up the complete game win to improve to 3-2. She allowed just two runs, one earned, with five strikeouts against one walk.

Game Two was a different story as Notre Dame jumped out on top of Walsh and scored early and often. All nine of the Falcons' runs were scored by the end of the third. Three Walsh errors helped NDC as four of its nine runs were earned.

The Cavs' lone run came when Riley Kiesling (Jr., North Canton, OH/Hoover) scored on a single to left by Murtaugh.

Maggie Murphy (So., Dover, OH/HS) took the loss in her first appearance of the season.

The Cavaliers now end the rest of their full games on the road. They eight-game road stretch starts at Hillsdale this Saturday at 1 p.m. Walsh is scheduled to complete a suspended game at home on Sunday, April 26.