Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan St
'Cats Outlast Michigan State 1-0 in 18 Innings
5/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2003
IOWA CITY, Iowa - In the time it took Northwestern and Michigan State to complete their opening game of the Big Ten Softball Tournament a person could run a marathon or complete almost three softball games. After an exhausting 18 innings and nearly five hours of play, the Wildcats finally outlasted the Spartans 1-0 in the second-longest game in NU history.
J.C. Kira's (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis) bases-loaded fielder's choice in the top of the 18th inning scored Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park), finally pushing across the game's only run as the Wildcats advance to face second-seeded Michigan later in the day Thursday.
It was the longest game in Big Ten Tournament history and the contest trailed only a 21-inning affair against Southern Illinois in 1979 as the longest game in the history of the Northwestern softball program. Thursday's contest lasted four hours and 54 minutes.
In the definition of a pitchers' battle, Northwestern freshman Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) and Michigan State junior Jessica Beech went toe-to-toe. Foster scattered 13 hits in recording her fifth strikeout in the last six games. Meanwhile, Beech allowed 14 hits while striking out 16. Foster fanned 20 to tie Lisa Ishikawa for the most strikeouts by a Northwestern pitcher in a single game.
Ishikawa stuck out 20 Kansas batters on March 27, 1986 and then equaled the feat on April 29 against Iowa. Foster's previous career-high strikeout total was 18, a mark she set in a 1-0 seven-inning performance against Loyola-Chicago April 23 of this season.
"It doesn't mean anything when it takes 18 innings," Foster quipped of her accomplishment. "I think the hardest part is the mental aspect," she said of pitching so long. "When your body gets tired, that's when your mind goes into overdrive. That's where my teammates came in. They were great in the dugout and made some great outs."
Foster extended her streak of not allowing an earned run to a remarkable 65.2 innings.
Northwestern missed out on a golden opportunity to score in the top of the sixth. Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif./Irvine) led off the inning with a basehit and advanced to second as Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) reached on an error by MSU shortstop Margaret Shick. Muran moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, giving NU runners at second and third with only one away.
Robyn Pettinger (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) appeared as though she might give the Wildcats the lead, as her hard-hit comebacker to the mound was mishandled by Beech. However, Nakabayashi elected to hold at third and Beech recovered to retire Pettinger at first. Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Beech stuck out Kira to end Northwestern's threat.
The 'Cats had another chance in the seventh, putting runners at second and third with two away. However, Beech wiggled off the hook again, recording a strikeout of Mobley to hold the Wildcats at bay.
The Spartans advanced their first baserunner to second base since the first inning in the tenth, but Kira ended the frame by picking Brittany Green off second.
Michigan State had their best opportunity of the game to score in the bottom of the 15th. With two away and Lacy Hauxhurst on first, Sandy Lewis doubled off the wall in center field. Centerfielder Jessie Wellnitz (Waterloo, Iowa/East) retrieved the ball and hit cut-off man Pettinger who made a perfect throw to the plate. Kira dropped the relay, but recovered just in time to tag out Hauxhurst.
MSU had another great chance to end it in the 17th inning. Janette Hurtado led off the inning with her fourth hit of the game and advanced to third two batters later on a double to left-center by Beech. A walk to Lewis loaded the bases with one away. Schick had a chance to end it, but dribbled a grounder to Pettinger at short who threw home to Kira to get the forceout at the plate. Foster then induced Natalie Furrow into a flyout to Nakabayashi in left on a 3-2 pitch to extend the game even further.
Mobley led off the winning rally in the 18th with a single up the middle. She was forced out at second on a bunt attempt by Muran, who advanced to second one batter later on a walk by Pettinger. Schwendimann loaded the bases with a single to left, before Kira followed with the game-winning swing. Her ball hit deep in the hole between third and short was fielded by Schick, the MSU shortstop, but Muran beat her throw to the plate.
NU had an opportunity to build on the lead, but Beech retired Dotson and Wellnitz to keep the Spartans deficit at one. However, the one run proved to be enough for Foster. Despite allowing a leadoff single and a two-out walk, Foster slammed the door when she struck out Hauxhurst looking to finally end the epic battle.
"I thought both teams played great today," Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan said. "Both pitchers showed great poise. Those were unbelievable performances. I think it shows that every game is a dogfight and every pitch counts."
With the win, Northwestern improves to 33-15 overall, while Michigan State falls to 35-16. Each team stranded 17 baserunners.
