EWING TWP. — It looks like the Notre Dame softball team is starting to really click at the plate and it couldn’t happen at more better time of the season. Upping its record to 18-1, Notre Dame blasted Ewing, 12-0, on Wednesday as it got ready to defend its Mercer County Tournament championship. The Irish will be at home on Thursday against Hightstown in the first round of the MCT. After going quietly in the first inning against Ewing righty Abby Singer, the offensive fireworks began in the top of the second when Notre Dame scored three runs. Five more Notre Dame runs followed in the fourth and the team tacked on five more in the seventh as the Irish pounded out 14 hits in all. Emma Marchese had a big game by going 3-for-4, blasting a home run and collecting three RBIs. Red-hot Kalyn Rosica.    also homered and drove in three. Rosica leads the team with six home runs and 25 RBIs Picking up two hits apiece were Madalena Creo and Cara Mazzucco. Both of Creo’s hits were doubles. Mazzucco is second on the team with four home runs. Marchese and Creo have each hit three. Pitching-wise, Rylee Michalak was her usual self with a three hitter and 13 strikeouts. Ewing (11-7) will be at top-seeded Robbinsville in the first round of the MCT on Thursday. Notre Dame (18-1) 030 500 – 12 Ewing (11-7) 000 000 0 – 0 WP-Michalal. 2B-Creo (ND) 2 HR-Rosica (ND), Marchese (ND). Robbinsville 5, Hamilton/Nottingham 3 ROBBINSVILLE  – The visitors played Robbinsville very tough and actually had a 3-2 lead after five innings, but the Ravens were able to come back with three in the sixth. Katie Ziliani went the distance and threw a four-hitter with six strikeouts. Losing pitcher Allyson Fonollosa threw an eight-hitter and struck out five. She would have done even better if not for seven errors. Ariana Tomlinson and Sorrella Galluci each had two hits for Robbinsville. Ava Umanski smacked two hits for Hamilton/Nottingham and doubled along with Fonollosa and Kara Weaver. Hamilton/Nottingham (9-9) 001 020 0 – 3 4 7 Robbinsville (16-2) 001 103 x – 5 8 2 WP-Ziliani. LP-Fonollosa. 2B-Fonollosa (HN), Umansky (HN) Weaver (HN). Allentown 18, Hopewell Valley 4 HOPEWELL TWP. – The Redbirds, who will host Hun in the MCT on Thursday, pounded out 17 hits. Riley Daly went 3-for-5 with two doubles. Lead-off batter Angelina Minerva also had three hits. Charlotte Barnes, Shelby Rossi and Izabelle Cornish-DiDonato had two hits for Hopewell Allentown (12-5) 522 301 5 – 18 17 1 Hopewell (3-13) 000 400 0 – 4 1 9 WP-LaFisca. LP-Powers. 2B-Daly (A) 2., Minerva (A), Cornish-DiDonato (HV). Steinert 17, Lawrence 0 HAMILTON TWP. – This game was called after four innings. Steinert (15-2)  got a one-hitter and four Ks by Ellie Miller. Bianca Walsh went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Mia Pope, Addison Hassan and Francesca Castellano also had three hits. Hassan led the team with five RBIs. Lawrence (5-11) 000 0 – 0 1 5 Steinert (15-2) 454 4 – 17 17 0 WP-Miller. LP-Van Hise. 2B-Van Hise, Hassan (S), Pope (S), Walsh (S) 2, Simonka (S).