GREENVILLE — To its credit, Notre Dame doesn’t back down when it comes to taking tough competition on —as far as its negotiable non-league softball schedule.

On Saturday, the Titans traveled westward to near the Indiana border —and split a pair of games against Centerville and host Greenville.

The Titans shut out Division II Greenville, scoring the only run in the fifth inning by sophomore Alayla Soard.

Against the Division I Centerville Elks, Notre Dame dropped a 2-1 decision —scoring a single fifth-frame run, before the Elks answered with a run apiece in the fifth and sixth stanzas.

The Saturday split an hour west of Dayton made Notre Dame’s record 6-1 —as Greenville was a Division II state semifinalist from last season.

The Titans, to their credit again, are back-to-back Division IV Region 15 runners-up.

Against Greenville, NDHS senior pitcher Gwen Sparks tossed a complete-game three-hit nine-strikeout shutout, and walked only one batter while facing 25.

Sparks, a University of Pittsburgh signee, threw 97 pitches —64 of which went for strikes.

She outdueled Greenville’s Z. Burns, whose run given up was indeed earned —on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The Titans tallied eight hits, as Soard and Sparks had two apiece —and Maycee Ford and Kate Entler added doubles along with Soard.

Entler, in fact, had the fifth-inning RBI-double.

Maddie Entler and Bella Rush recorded singles, as Sparks drew the Titans’ only walk.

Burns, Burke and McLear had the only hits for Greenville.

Sparks was also the tough-luck losing pitcher against the Elks, which scored only one earned run off her in six innings —with two walks and six hits and four strikeouts.

Sparks also hit two batters.

Offensively, Sparks smashed a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning for the only Titan tally.

Soard and Ava Rush had singles apiece, Maycee Ford was hit by a pitch, and Kyndall Ford drew a walk.

Notre Dame did leave four runners on base.

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