Raiders capitalize on opportunities, hold opposing bats at bay in sweeping season-opening twinbill

QUINCY — Strong pitching, clutch hitting and solid defense. Put those three together and you end up with the results the Quincy Notre Dame softball team enjoyed Saturday during its season-opening games at The Backyard.

The Raiders saw Carly Gilker and Caitlin Bunte combine to throw a one-hitter in a 5-0 victory over Calhoun and capitalized on Illini West’s defensive miscues in a 13-2 victory.

Against Calhoun, the Raiders took the lead in the third inning when Bunte singled with one out and stole second base. She went to third on Alyssa Ley’s groundout and scored on a passed ball two batters later.

In the fourth, Gilker led off with a single, took second on an error, went to third on a throw and scored on another error. In the fifth, Bunte reached on an error leading off, and one out later, Abbey Schreacke reached on a dropped third strike. After Schreacke stole second base to put both runners in scoring position, Addi Zanger delivered a two-run single.

Morgan Zanger followed with a single to make it 5-0.

That was more than enough for Gilker and Bunte, who combined to limit the Warriors to a fifth-inning single while striking out seven and walking two.

Against Illini West, a walk and five consecutive errors by the Chargers led to six runs for QND in the first inning. Brooke Boden had a two-run single in the Raiders’ three-run second inning and Schreacke had an RBI double in the two-run third inning.

Bunte struck out six as she and Gilker combined to allowed just three hits.