Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Utah Valley State (Capital Classic)
No. 23 Wildcats Run-Rule Utah Valley State, 9-0
3/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2005
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) fired her sixth-career one-hitter and Northwestern teed off at the plate Friday against second-year Division I program Utah Valley State, defeating the Wolverines, 9-0, in five innings at the Sacramento State Capital Classic.
With the win, the No. 23 Wildcats improve to 14-6 on the season while UVS falls to 8-15.
Foster finished with 10 strikeouts in the game and allowed just two baserunners on a hit and a walk in the first inning. She struck out the side three times.
In the second inning, Foster struck out the side on nine pitches, with eight of the strikes swinging. She extended that streak to four whiffs on 12-straight strikes to start the bottom of the third inning. Foster threw a ball to the next batter, but again K'ed the side.
The one-hitter was her second of the season -- she also one-hit Boston College on Feb. 20.
At the plate, Northwestern had 11 hits including four doubles and a home run.
The Wildcats got on the board in the top of third inning. Sophomore Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) hit a perfect one-out bunt single to shortstop, then scored all the way from first on a double by freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro). Churchwell crossed the plate two batters later on a double by sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) to give Northwestern a 2-0 lead.
After sophomore Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) walked, junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) cranked her fourth home run of the season to clear the bases and stake NU to a 5-0 advantage.
Northwestern again scored in the fourth, when Logan started things when a two-out infield single. She then stole second and scored on Churchwell's third hit of the game, a single to centerfield. Churchwell took second on the throw and scored when senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) single up the middle to push NU's lead to 7-0.
Cooper nearly pushed NU into rule-rule territory in the next at-bat, but her soaring shot was just short of clearing the fence in straightaway center.
Northwestern reached the eight-run plateau in the top of the fifth inning when Dotson and junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) hit back-to-back doubles. Sophomore Elizabeth Piatt (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) crossed the plate as a pinch-runner for Dotson. McCorkle would later score when the UVS pitcher threw away a ground shot from Logan to give NU a 9-0 lead.
Foster then struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth in end the game.
Churchwell finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Logan was 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Dotson was also 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Utah Valley State, winner of the Junior College World Series in 2000 and runner-up in 2002, is in its first-full season against Division I competition.
Northwestern returns to action at 5 pm. CT today, Friday, March 18, against No. 2 California.
