Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Boston College (Palm Springs Tournament)
Northwestern Pounds Boston College 8-0 in Six Innings
2/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 21, 2004
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Arizona State and Stanford learned something facing Northwestern earlier this season-- the Wildcats play very well after a loss. The Sun Devils took a 9-2 pounding after NU dropped its first game of the season to Kansas and No. 8 Stanford lost 4-2 one game after the 'Cats fell to No. 7 Alabama. Boston College had to learn the same lesson tonight. After losing to top-ranked UCLA in the morning, Northwestern responded in typical fashion, beating the Eagles 8-0 in six innings. Northwestern improves to 6-3 on the year while BC falls to 4-5 overall.
For the second straight game, pitcher Eileen Canney was stellar on the mound. The freshman hurler allowed only one hit en route to her first career shutout. Canney threw four and one-thirds of no-hit ball. She retired the first 13 Boston College hitters in order, striking out three and getting the rest to hit lazy fly balls or routine ground ball in the infield.
Erin Mackey ended the Eagles' hitless streak with a soft line drive that fell behind second base. Canney ended any further BC notion of generating offense with a fly-ball out to left and a strike out to end the fifth inning. She allowed only two Eagles to reach base all game and finished with six strikeouts.
Northwestern's offense came alive in the second inning. Garland Cooper lead off the inning with a hard single. Two batters later, Jamie Dotson hit the ball off the center field fence, sending Cooper to third. The Wildcats loaded the bases on a Boston College error and Katie Logan made them pay with a two-run single to give the 'Cats a 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats appeared poised to blow the game open in the third but only managed to pick up one run. Erin Mobley hit a single to lead off the inning. Eryn Manahan reached base on a catcher interference call. Cooper drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Kristen Amegin drew a walk and Mobley came in to extend the Wildcat lead to 3-0. Tekae Malandris came in to pitch for the Eagles and did the job. She retired the next three Northwestern batters and kept the game close.
Malandis bailed herself out of the same situation in the following inning. After striking Sheila McCorkle out for the first out of the inning, Northwestern loaded the bases again on two walks and a single by Mobley. Cooper drew another walk and Leto scored to make it 4-0 Wildcats. Malandis got Amegin to strike out and Dotson to ground out to end the inning and avoid the second potentially disastrous situation in as many innings.
For the third straight inning Northwestern had runners in scoring position and for the third straight time they left them right there, stranding runners at second and third in the bottom half of the fifth.
After issuing a series of minor blows throughout the first five innings, Northwestern finally delivered the knockout punch in the sixth. After back-to-back walks to Manahan and Cooper, Amegin's ground ball to short was mishandled and Manahan scored.
Dotson singled in the next at-bat and Northwestern pushed its lead to 6-0. Logan picked up her third RBI of the game when she grounded out up the middle. Pinch runner Lauren Olson scored the game-ending run when Katie Logan popped out Jenna Macchi. Macchi attempted to throw out J.C. Kira, who did not tag up on the play, at second base, but her throw went into right field and Olson trotted home to end the ballgame.
NU faces Pacific at 1 p.m. CST tomorrow in its final game of the Palm Springs Classic.
