Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Iowa
Foster, 'Cats Silence No. 24 Iowa, 3-0
4/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 25, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - With their backs against the wall in the race to make the Big Ten Tournament, the Northwestern softball team did the things it needed to in order to win Friday night. Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) pitched a two-hitter and struck out 12 as the Wildcats downed Big Ten-leading and 24th-ranked Iowa 3-0.
Entering the game in seventh place in the Big Ten, NU remained in the hunt for the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament, improving to 29-15 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten. Iowa fell into a tie for first place with idle Illinois, dropping to 11-3 in conference play and 35-11 overall. Michigan, which defeated Purdue 2-1 Friday, is just a half-game back at 10-3. The 'Cats remain one game behind Penn State (7-6), a 7-0 winner over Wisconsin.
Foster picked up right where she left off in Wednesday's 18-strikeout, one-hit performance at Loyola-Chicago, fanning five of the first six Hawkeyes she faced.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats took advantage of a costly error in the top of the third, scoring two unearned runs to go ahead 2-0. Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill), who went 3-for-3, led off the inning with a basehit. Pinch runner Jenny Glonke (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) advanced to second two batters later on a single up the middle by Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla). Brett Nakabayashi followed with a sacrifice bunt, giving NU runners at second and third with two away.
It looked as though Iowa would get out of the jam, as Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) hit a routine grounder to second. But Christina Schmaltz's toss to first was dropped by first baseman Amanda Hentges, allowing Glonke and Leto to score.
In the meantime, Foster continued her mastery. After retiring Iowa in order in the third, Kristin Johnson led off the fourth with a walk. She advanced to second on a sacrifice, but Foster got a pop up and a strikeout to get out of the inning.
Kylie Murray broke up Foster's bid for a no-hitter with a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth, but the freshman recorded her 11th strikeout of the game, fanning her counterpart Lisa Birocci to end the frame.
The Hawkeyes got the leadoff batter on base again in the sixth as pinch hitter Sarah Thomson reached on a walk. Hentges reentered the game and, following a popped up bunt, stole second. But again, Foster worked out of trouble, getting back-to-back groundouts to Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park) at third.
Northwestern then added an important insurance run in the top of the seventh. J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis) drew a one-out walk, and pinch runner Sheila McCorkle moved up to third on a double by Schwendimann. Pinch hitter Kristen Amegin (W. Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) then came through with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring McCorkle from third and putting the 'Cats up 3-0.
Iowa managed just a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, as Foster improved to 13-8 with the win.
The teams will wrap up their two-game set at noon Saturday.
