Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
Softball Powers Past Purdue, 6-2
4/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2002
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Off to its best start in the Big Ten since 1999, the Northwestern softball squad (12-8-1, 3-0) defeated Purdue (27-12, 0-3), 6-2, Friday at the Purdue Varsity Softball Complex. The win was the third straight for the Wildcats. They will face the Boilermakers again tomorrow at noon.
In the top of the first, senior Gretchen Barnes (Flossmoor, Ill./Hoomwood-Flossmoor) hit a two-run home run to left field. The long ball was the 18th of her career, which ties Karen Lemke's (1982-85) record. It was also Barnes fifth of the year. The NU record for home runs in a year is seven, held by Lemke and Sue Hebson.
On the other end of the home run spectrum was sophomore Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Vahalla), who hit her first career home run in the third inning. The three-run shot barley cleared the 200' right center, but knocked Purdue's starting pitcher Nicole Crouse out of the game. Left-hander Leighann Burke relieved Crouse with one out in the third. Burke pitched four and two-thirds innings, giving up just one run on two hits.
Junior Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) pitched her eighth complete game of the season for the Wildcats, sitting down the first 11 batters she faced in order before giving up a two-out single to Andrea Hillsey. For the game, Schwendimann scattered six hits, while striking out eight.
The two home runs was all the offense the 'Cats needed as the Boilermakers only scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.
NU did add another run to its total in the fourth when Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) scored on Erin Jancic's (Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik) sacrifice fly to center field. Pettinger was 2-for-3, including a double in the win.
