Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Arizona (Arizona Tournament)
No. 2 Arizona Edges Northwestern, 4-3
2/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 5, 2005
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Northwestern rallied to tie second-ranked Arizona Saturday night at the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic, but the Pac-10 Wildcats scored twice in extra innings before a NU rally fell short to give the hosts a 4-3 win in eight innings.
Sophomore Eileen Canney (Paradies, Calif./Paradise) pitched a superb game in the circle for NU, striking out 10 Arizona batters while allowing just two earned runs on six hits. With the loss, her record falls to 1-1.
The hosts scored two runs in the first inning to give themselves the early lead, but Canney shut them out for the next six innings.
Meanwhile, Northwestern began chipping away at the Arizona lead. Junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) walked in the fifth and scored on an RBI single by freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro).
Sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) tied the game one inning later with a solo home run off Arizona All-America pitcher Alicia Hollowell.
The score remained knotted at 2-2 through seven innings, but in the top of the eighth Arizona hit a two-run homer to take a 4-2 lead.
Northwestern would fight back once again at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, site of a dramatic, come-from-behind NU victory against South Carolina in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol) singled and scored when Churchwell doubled for her second hit of the game to close the gap to 4-3.
Northwestern would get no closer, however, to drop its first game of the season after beginning with three wins. Arizona improved to 3-0 with the win.
NU concludes its five-game slate at the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic at 10 a.m. CT Sunday against Oklahoma State.
