Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Iowa
Mobley, Foster Lead NU to 2-0 Win Over Iowa
4/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) provided the offense and Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) supplied another standout performance on the mound, as the Northwestern softball team completed a two-game sweep of Big Ten leader Iowa with a 2-0 win Saturday. Mobley's two-run homer in the first stood up, as Foster tossed a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
The win improves the Wildcats' record to 30-15 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes fall to 35-12 overall and 11-4 in conference play.
The Wildcats wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, tallying a pair of runs in the top of the first. With one away, Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) reached on a bunt single. She scored one batter later, as Mobley deposited her fourth home run of the season over the fence in right-center off Iowa starter Ali Arnold.
Iowa had a number of opportunities to get on the board, putting a runner on base in each of the first five innings. But each time Foster was able to work out of trouble, including stranding runners at second base in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Foster worked her way into a major jam in the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting leadoff batter Katie Boney and then allowing a single to center by Stacy May. After getting Christina Schmaltz to pop up a bunt to catcher J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis), Foster uncorked a wild pitch, allowing runners to advance to second and third. The freshman got the job done again, though, recording a strikeout of Lindsey Bashor and getting Kylie Murray to fly out to Nakabayashi in left.
Iowa got the leadoff batter Sarah Thomson on base in the top of the seventh when she was hit by a pitch from Foster. However, Foster recorded three straight strikeouts to close out the game and improve to 14-8. She allowed just one hit after the third inning.
Six separate Northwestern players had one hit apiece, as NU outhit Iowa 6-3.
The Wildcats return to action at 3 p.m. Wednesday when they host a doubleheader against No. 6 DePaul.
