BIRMINGHAM — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep reached the end of the road Saturday and it had a Richmond connection.
Richmond ended NDP’s season in the Division 2 regional finals, topping the Fighting Irish, 4-0, at Birmingham Detroit Country Day.
It marked the second straight year that NDP was ousted in the Sweet 16. Last season, St. Clair toppled the Irish in a regional finals tilt
Richmond, honorable mention in the final regular season polls, will face unranked Dearborn Divine Child in the state quarterfinals at 4 p.m. at Novi.
In the semifinals, NDP (32-5) toppled Almont, 3-1.
Caley Gleason gained the win from the circle against Almont. She gave up a leadoff bloop single to Ashley Simmons, who later scored on a throwing error.
Gleason, who finished with eight strikeouts, kept 21 of the next 23 batters she faced off base, and the Tigers had tow batters reach on errors over the final six innings.
Gleason helped her cause with a hit and an RBI, while senior Madeleine Fazio went 2-for-3 and screed a run. Junior third baseman Maddy McClune belted a two-run triple for the Irish, scoring Anna Madison and Kara Thornton. In all, Notre Dame Prep scored three runs on eight hits, one reached on error and three walks.
The championship contest was a different story for the Irish, who were held scoreless and could only manage three hits against the Blue Devils. Kara Thornton picked up a double, while Rebecca Petrella and Kacey Edmonds each added a single for NDP.
Gleason took the loss giving up four runs (two earned) on eight hits. She struck out two and hit one batter.
Notre Dame Prep captured its 10th straight district crown this season and advanced to the finals of the CHSL A-B tournament before falling to Division 1 second-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy.