Softball Game Preview: Notre Dame Pioneers vs. Cecilia Bulldogs

Notre Dame is a perfect 3-0 against Cecilia since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. Notre Dame will host Cecilia at 5:30 p.m. Notre Dame is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.

Notre Dame saw some tournament action on Saturday. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over Slaughter Community Charter. The seven-run effort marked the Pioneers' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Bella Smith

Base on Balls Against

03/29/25 vs Slaughter Community Charter	2
03/25/25 vs Welsh	0
03/14/25 vs Live Oak	2
03/14/25 vs St. Mary's Dominican	1
03/13/25 vs Lafayette Christian Academy	1
+ 6 more games

Bella Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aly Teare, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Valerie Brown was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.

Teare wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Notre Dame kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Cecilia got the win against Livonia on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-5. The win continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won seven in a row.

Notre Dame's victory bumped their record up to 20-0. As for Cecilia, their win bumped their record up to 5-16.

Notre Dame took their victory against Cecilia in their previous meeting back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 17-2. Will Notre Dame repeat their success, or does Cecilia has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.