Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan St
Michigan State Completes Sweep of 'Cats, 6-3
3/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 29, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - In weather conditions better suited for downhill skiing, the Northwestern softball team couldn't let an early 3-0 hold up as the Wildcats fell to Michigan State 6-3. With wind chill temperatures dropping into the teens, both teams were forced to battle the elements as the Spartans completed the two-game sweep to open the Big Ten season.
The loss drops NU to 17-8 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, while Michigan State improves to 20-8 and 2-0. It was MSU's first regular season sweep of the Wildcats since 1999.
After being shutout the previous day, the Northwestern bats came alive early. NU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning as Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif/Foothill) doubled off the top of the wall in left field, scoring Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine). Mobley advanced to third on a groundout and then scored on an RBI single by J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis).
The Wildcats increased their lead to 3-0 in the second. Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake) singled with one away and then moved to third on a double by Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall), and scored on a passed ball. NU had runners on second and third with only one out, but Jessica Beech came on in relief of Stephanie Christner and held the 'Cats at bay.
Much like Friday's game in which Natalie Furrow's first inning three-run home run shifted the tide in the Spartans' favor, Elizabeth Peterson did the honors on Saturday. Brown walked the first two MSU batters of the third inning and then allowed an infield single before Peterson deposited a grand slam over the scoreboard in left-center, giving Michigan State a sudden 4-3 lead.
For the remainder of the game, it was a matter of Beech repeating her pitching performance of the previous day. Every time it seemed as though the Wildcats were set to rally, Beech managed to get out of a jam. NU, which stranded 10 baserunners on Friday, including six in scoring position, left eight runners on base Saturday and another six on either second or third.
MSU got a single run off reliever Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) in the fourth to increase its lead to 5-3. After stranding Wildcat runners at second and third in the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans added an insurance run in the sixth inning.
Northwestern brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seven, but Beech got Kira to ground out to third to end the game.
The Wildcats outhit Michigan State 8-7, including two hits by Nakabayashi. With Mobley's double in the first inning, she has now hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games.
NU will shoot to get back on the winning track Sunday when it travels to Michigan for a doubleheader beginning at noon Eastern time.
