Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Loyola Marymount (Palm Springs Tourney)
Wildcats Defeat Loyola Marymount, 5-2
2/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 26, 2005
Box Score
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Following a pair of close, heart-pounding wins on the opening day of the Palm Springs Classic, Northwestern scored early and often in a 5-2 win over Loyola Marymount Saturday morning in the desert.
The Wildcats run their record to a perfect 3-0 in the tournament, leaving them as one of only three unbeatens left in the 24-team field. No. 1 California and No. 3 UCLA are the other unblemished teams remaining. NU is now 10-3 overall, its best start to a season since the 1987 squad began the year 11-2.
Northwestern wasted no time getting on the board, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) led off with a walk. Senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) advanced the runner with a groundout, then Churchwell scored on a scorching single to first base by sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic).
Junior Kristen Amegin (W. Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) made the score 2-0 with a double down the right field line that scored Cooper from first. Following a single by junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill), sophomore Elizabeth Piatt (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) came in to pinch run. Piatt immediately stole second, then both runners scored on a triple by junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) that scooted past the hard-charging right fielder.
In the second inning, Mobley laid down a perfect two-out bunt for a single, then scored on a Cooper triple to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Wildcats. After an Amegin walk, Dotson hit a frozen rope that Lisa Abbott snagged with a lunge in left field to end the inning.
LMU recorded a run in the third after a two-out error and a double to left center. It scored again in the fifth after a throwing error to first base.
Churchwell also hit a double while freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) earned a single in the game for NU.
Sophomore Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) started and earned the win for Northwestern, upping her record to 6-2. She went the distance, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Samantha Lavino took the loss for Loyola Marymount (1-2).
Northwestern returns to action at 7:30 p.m. CT today, Saturday, against Arizona State.
