Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Bethune-Cookman (Florida Atlantic Tournament)
Bethune-Cookman Rallies Past NU, 2-1
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 11, 2005
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) broke up a no-hitter in a scoreless contest with a bottom-of-the-sixth solo home run, but Bethune-Cookman scored twice in the seventh to defeat Northwestern, 2-1, at the Florida Atlantic Worth Invitational.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 0-2 in the Tournament and 4-3 on the season. Bethune-Cookman improves to 1-0 in the Invitational and 5-2 overall.
Sophomore Eileen Canney (2-2) went the distance in the circle for Northwestern, striking out a career-high 12 batters. She allowed four hits and a pair of walks.
Canney now has 33 K's in 23 innings of work this season, and has struck out 10 or more batters in both of her starts going longer than five innings.
With the game scoreless through five innings, Canney stranded a Bethune-Cookman runner in the top of the sixth. With two outs in the bottom half of the inning, Cooper blasted her second home run of the season to right field to give NU a 1-0 advantage.
Cooper's home run extended her season-opening hitting streak to seven games.
After BCC scored twice in the top of the seventh, NU mounted a comeback. With one out, freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) smacked a double down the right field line for her first career base hit. With two outs, sophomore Megan Hinck (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) hit a pinch-hit single to third base that put runners on the corners, but freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) grounded out to the shortstop to end the game.
Lauren McCoy (3-2) earned the win for Bethune-Cookman while Vivica Patterson pitched the seventh for her second save of the season.
Northwestern's offensive troubles on the Worth Invite's opening day are in stark contrast to its performance at the Pepsi Arizona Classic last week, where NU erupted for 37 runs in five games.
The Wildcats return to action in the FAU Worth Invitational at 9 a.m. CT Saturday against Boston College. NU then takes on the host Owls at 6 p.m. CT Saturday before closing out the tourney with a single game Sunday.
