Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Softball Falls Twice to Wisconsin
4/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 28, 2002
MADISON, Wis. -
The Northwestern softball team lost a pair of Big Ten games to Wisconsin on Sunday 2-1 (9) and 3-2. The losses drop the 'Cats record to 22-16-1 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten. With the win, Wisconsin slips ahead of NU in the Big Ten standings, taking over the fourth-place position.
NU squandered multiple opportunities in Game 1 as they lost their first extra inning game since early February, 2-1, in nine innings.
Both teams scored single runs in the sixth. For the 'Cats Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) reached as the lead off on an error by the Badger second baseman. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Erin Jancic (Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik), and moved another 60 feet on Gretchen Barnes' (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) slow roller to first. Pitcher Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) then singled to right field to put the 'Cats up 1-0.
The Badgers also put their lead off runner, Sheena Padovan, on in the sixth and bunted her over to second. Diane Consolmagno followed with a grounder back to the pitcher. Schwendimann chased down Padovan as she took off for third, but Schwendimann made the tag with her glove, while the ball was in the other hand. She then threw the ball away, allowing Padovan to reach third safely. Kerry Hagen tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
Neither team put any type of rally together until the ninth inning.
With two outs in the 'Cats half of the ninth, Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park) hit back-to-back singles, but J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Francis) grounded out to the third baseman before a run could come across.
In the bottom of the ninth with one out and runners on first and second, Meghann Reiss singled to center field to score the winning run for Wisconsin.
The 'Cats committed three errors in the game, while also leaving seven runners on base. Other missed opportunities in the game included Leto getting thrown out at home for the third out of the inning in the fourth while trying to score from second on an infield single by Barnes. In the fifth, NU had one out and the bases loaded, but the next two batters looked at strike three to leave the runners stranded.
Schwendimann went the distance for the second time this weekend in an extra innings game. She allowed eight hits, struck out seven and was credited with one eared run. Her record drops to 15-5.
In the second game, NU took the early lead when Barnes doubled in Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) in the first inning. The lead held until the Badgers broke the game open in the third with three runs on Padovan's double.
NU attempted a late-inning rally in the seventh by putting runners on second and third with only one out. Rane Gunderson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) brought one in on a sacrifice fly to shallow center field.
With the tying run on third, Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) stepped up to the plate as the Wildcat's pinch hitter. Pettinger hit a hard ground ball to the shortstop Kristin Zacher, who bobbled the ball between her legs. Zacher recovered and gunned the ball over to first, beating Pettinger to the base by a step.
The 'Cats are back in action on Thursday for an evening doubleheader at Illinois-Chicago. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. Last week's Loyola game will not be rescheduled.
Big Ten Standings as of 4/28/02
1. Ohio State (15-3)-.833
2. Michigan (13-3)-.813
3. Iowa (10-4)-.714
4. Wisconsin (9-6)-600
5. Northwestern (10-7)-.582
6. Minnesota (7-6)-538
7. Penn State (9-8)-.529
8. Illinois (8-9)-.471
9. Michigan State (4-13)-.232
10. Purdue (3-12)-.200
11. Indiana. (0-17)-.000
* Top six will advance to the Big Ten Tournament, hosted by the top seeded team May 9-11.
