Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Southwest Texas State
Southwest Texas Outlasts 'Cats, 3-1
5/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 16, 2003
AUSTIN, Texas - One week after seemingly finding every way possible to pull out late-game victories, the Northwestern softball team's heroics fell a little short Friday afternoon. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning, but were unable to come up with the clutch hit, dropping a 3-1 decision to Southwest Texas. The loss drops NU into the loser's bracket, where it will take on Hawaii in an elimination game at 6 p.m. Friday.
The loss drops NU to 36-18 overall, while SWT improves to 45-16-1.
Trailing by two entering the final inning of play, NU attempted one finally rally but was unable to covert. With one away, Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) and Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) recorded back-to-back singles. After Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) flew out to center, Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park) singled up the middle, loading the bases for Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill). Schwendimann, who already had two hits on the day, lined a shot right back up the middle at Bobcat pitcher Nicole Neuerberg. Neuerberg was able to stick her glove up in the nick of time to knock the ball down and then picked it up to record the final out at first.
One day after posting a two-hit shutout over 13th-ranked Arizona State, Neuerburg was able to hold the second-seeded Wildcats in check. Neuerberg struck out eight NU batters, while scattering eight hits. Northwestern left 10 runners on base, including seven in scoring position. NU outhit SWT 8-5.
After Northwestern stranded leadoff batter Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) at second base with no one out in the top of the first, Southwest Texas reached Wildcat starter Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) for three runs in the bottom half.
With runners at first and second and two away, catcher J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis) had Ashley Koop picked off second base. Koop took off for third as Kira threw down to McCorkle at second. Koop was able slide in safely ahead of Muran's tag, as Ryan Stukel moved up to second on the throw.
Katie Ann Trahan made the Wildcats pay, recording a single to left field that scored two runs. Hannah Snow followed with another basehit up the middle, scoring Trahan from second and spelling the end of Foster's day. Schwendimann came on in relief and got Ashley Wilson to line out to Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) to put an end to the inning.
Northwestern had a golden opportunity to put a dent in the Bobcats' lead in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on three hits with only one away. However, Neurberg recorded a pop-out by Kira to shallow left and a strikeout of pinch hitter Kristen Amegin (W. Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) to keep the shutout intact.
The Wildcats finally broke into the scoring column in the top of the sixth inning. Schwendimann doubled with one away and scored two batters later on an RBI single by Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). But that was all the run production NU could muster.
Dotson, Muran and Schwendimann recorded two hits apiece for Northwestern. Schwendimann pitched masterfully in relief, allowing just two hits while striking out six over 5.1 innings. The teams played in swealtering temperates that reached as high as 97 degrees during the game.
