Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Wildcats Hold Off Wisconsin, 6-5
4/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 19, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - It got a little interesting at the end, but the Northwestern softball team managed to hold off Wisconsin 6-5 Saturday to earn a split of the two-game series. Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) came on in the bottom of the seventh inning for the second time this week to pick up the save, her Big Ten-leading fourth of the season. Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park) led NU's offensive charge with two hits and four RBI.
With the win, the Wildcats (26-13, 7-7 Big Ten) move back into a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten along with Penn State (5-5) and Sunday's doubleheader opponent, Minnesota (6-6).
The 'Cats carried a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh, but nearly let the game slip away. Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall), who entered the game in the sixth inning in relief of Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill), ran into trouble in the final frame.
With a runner on second and two outs, Brown walked Boo Gillette and allowed a single to Erin Barnharst, loading the bases in the process. Emily Friedman then recorded a bases-clearing double, bringing the Badgers to within 6-5. But much like she did on Tuesday at Illinois-Chicago, Foster then came on to finish off the game, striking out Diana Consolmago to end it.
After posting just three hits in nine innings the previous day, the Northwestern bats came out on fire Saturday. Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla), Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) and Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) led off the game with three straight singles, loading the bases against UW starter Katie Layne. Muran followed with her first of two sacrifice flys on the day, giving the 'Cats a 1-0 lead. Layne managed to work her way out of trouble to prevent any further damage in the inning.
NU made it 2-0 in the second when Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis).
The Wildcats' lead grew to three in the third inning. With one away, Mobley doubled to left and scored on a single to center by Muran. After failing to score in the fourth-the only inning in which they falied to tally a run-NU increased it's lead to 4-0 in the fifth as Muran brought home Mobley again, this time on a sacrifice fly to right.
Wisconsin pushed across a single run in the bottom of the fifth as Diane Consolmagno, who led off the inning with a double, scored from third on an infield error on a ball hit by Kris Zacher.
Pettinger helped Northwestern answer right back, leading off the sixth with a triple off the fence in left, and eventually scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Leto.
The Badgers got another run in the bottom of the sixth, before Muran added an important insurance run in the top of the seventh with her team-leading fourth home run of the season.
Schwendimann, who also had two hits at the plate, allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings pitched to pick up the win, improving to 9-5 this season. Layne took the loss for Wisconsin, falling to 2-7. After allowing just three hits and striking out 10 in nine innings of work Friday, Andrea Kirchberg came on in relief for UW, allowing seven hits and four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings.
The Wildcats outhit the Badgers 12-7, but were sloppy in the field, committing four errors. Muran, Mobley, Nakabayashi, Pettinger and Schwendimann led a balanced NU offensive effort with two hits apiece.
Northwestern will shoot to position itself for the Big Ten Tournament when it hosts Minnesota in a doubleheader beginning at noon Sunday.
