Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
California (Chevron Invit.)
Softball Stops No. 8 California, 1-0
3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2002
HONOLULU - Northwestern's softball team defeated California, the nation's eighth-ranked squad, 1-0, to remain undefeated (3-0) at the Chevron Invitational Saturday morning. Junior right-hander Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Golden Bears (31-10) and picked up her seventh win of the year in. NU is now 8-6-1 this season.
Zeros lined the board for both teams through the first six innings. Sophomore Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) began NU's half of the seventh with a single up the middle off of All-America pitcher Jocelyn Forest. Gretchen Barnes (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) stepped to the plate next and laid down a bunt that was fielded by the Bears first baseman Veronica Nelson. Nelson attempted to throw Leto out at second, but the throw was errant and Leto took third and Barnes landed on second. Schwendimann then singled to center, bringing in the winning run.
Cal made a valiant comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second, Wildcat Erin Jancic (Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik) chased down a fly ball into the left field fence to record the final out of the game.
In the afternoon game, the 'Cats lost an exhibition to Nittaidai #1, 5-4. The 'Cats led most of the game, but late-inning errors proved costly as Nittaidai scored three runs in the bottom half of the seventh to claim the victory. The loss is the first for NU this weekend.
All three NU runs came from home runs. Barnes jumped on the Japanese pitching early with a three-run shot just inside the left field foul post in the first. In the sixth, Cindy Muran (Newbury park, Calif./Newbury Park) went long to left, putting the 'Cats up 4-2.
Nittaidai out-hit NU 12-8, while the 'Cats also committed three errors-two in the last inning.
NU will be back on the field this evening to face Hofstra at 7 p.m. HT.
