Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Penn State
Softball Loses to Penn State, 9-3
4/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Penn State (20-18, 5-5) came away from Friday's 5-0 loss to Northwestern (17-10-1, 6-2) having learned an important lesson, in the Big Ten, one must score first and score often in order to be successful. After the Wildcats knocked out the Nittany Lions' starting pitcher in the second inning Friday, the Nittany Lions turn the tables Saturday, defeating NU 9-3, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
The Lions broke out offensively with four runs on four hits in the first inning off Wildcat starter Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall). Brown suffered her shortest outing of the year, pitching just one-third of an inning. The junior right-hander faced six batters, allowing four runs on three hits before giving way to Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill).
Schwendimann, Friday's winner, also struggled in her first few innings of relief. Two more PSU batters reached before Schwendimann could retire the side-all runs were credited to Brown. Schwendimann's streak of 22-plus innings without giving up an earned run then came to an end in the second as the Nittany Lions tagged the junior for four more runs-three earned.
NU did put some pressure on PSU with two runs in the third. The 'Cats used back-to-back-to-back doubles by Erin Jancic (Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik), Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine Calif./Irvine) and Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) to cut the Lion lead to five. They added another run in the fourth when Rane Gunderson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) singled to center, scoring Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). Nakabayashi was 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run. She leads the team in hitting with a .351 average. Leto has now hit four doubles in her last six at-bats, giving her 10 on the year.
The 'Cats got a runner into scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings but could not capitalize.
NU rounds out the weekend with a doubleheader against No. 25 Ohio State Sunday beginning at noon.
