Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Nittaidai (Chevron Invit.)
Softball Wins Opening Game of Chevron Invitational, 10-4
3/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 22, 2002
HONOLULU - Northwestern won its opening game at the Chevron Invitational in Honolulu with a victory over Nittaidai #2, 10-4. The Wildcats will return to the field this afternoon for a game versus Hawaii.
"It was great to get back on to the field after the long break,' said Head Coach Kate Drohan. "Playing an international team for the first time ever was a good opportunity and experience for this team."
NU hammered the Japanese pitching staff for 10 runs on 14 hits, including three home runs and two doubles.
The 'Cats used their 1-2 Erin combo to jump on top in the first inning, with Erin Jancic (Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik) and Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) platting back-to-back singles to left field. Jancic came around to score on a pair of wild pitches. Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) then singled in Mobley to give NU the early 2-0 advantage.
NU doubled their lead in the fourth when Jancic launched a Mami Gotoh offering over the center field fence.
Nittaidai tied to the contest in the bottom the inning with four runs, but that score did not last long.
After Schwendimann singled to open the fifth, J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis) playing in her hometown for the first time since high school, hit a home run to put the 'Cats back up by two. This time the lead stuck, as Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall) held Nittaidai scoreless in the final three innings. For the game, Brown pitched seven innings, allowed seven hits and two earned runs.
NU added two more in the sixth and seventh innings, including a home run off the bat of Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd).
