Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
California (Capital Classic)
Wildcats Walk-Off Against No. 2 California, 2-1
3/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2005
Box Score
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Northwestern recorded two hits Friday night against second-ranked California: the first of the game and the last. Junior Jamie Dotson's (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh silenced the Golden Bears and gave the No. 23 Wildcats a 2-1 victory at the Sacramento State Capital Classic.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, California starter Kristina Thorson (11-2) struck out the first two Wildcats she faced, giving her six strikeouts in her last seven batters faced.
With a 2-2 count on junior Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove), Thorson came too far inside and nailed Amegin on the arm to give the Wildcats their first baserunner since the first inning. Sophomore Elizabeth Piatt (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) replaced Amegin as a pinch-runner.
Dotson then strode to the plate and -- after swinging and missing at the first pitch she saw -- smashed a laser beam over the center field fence to give Northwestern its second win over California in the last three meetings between the schools.
The home run was Dotson's second of the day and her fifth of the year. She knocked a three-run shot out of the park against Utah Valley State in NU's first game in Sacramento.
Dotson also hit two home runs in one day on the season's opening day, recording seven RBIs with home runs against New Mexico State and Tulsa. She finished Friday with five RBIs and now has a team-leading 21 on the year.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 15-6 overall and 2-0 at the Capital Classic. California falls to 23-3 overall, 1-1 in the tournament. The Wildcats are one of just three teams in the 13-squad tournament with a perfect 2-0 record; Minnesota and No. 17 Oregon State are the others.
The Wildcats have beaten the last five ranked teams they have faced: No. 25 Long Beach State, No. 12 Washington, No. 20 Pacific, No. 3 Stanford and No. 2 California. The Golden Bears are the highest ranked team NU has defeated under fourth-year Head Coach Kate Drohan.
Northwestern fell to then-No. 3 California, 4-2, last year at the Hawaii Invitational after defeating the then-No.6 Golden Bears, 4-3, in 2003.
After freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the first, the game turned into a classic pitcher's duel.
Northwestern starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) faced just 12 batters through the first four innings, allowing only a walk in the third that was erased on a nice double-play from shortstop Churchwell to sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) at first base.
Likewise the Wildcats had trouble with Thorson, as she sat down every batter she faced besides Churchwell in the first and Amegin and Dotson in the seventh.
Cal got its first hit -- and run -- of the game with a leadoff home run in the fifth inning. Canney finished with seven strikeouts and allowed three hits and one walk to get the complete game victory and improve her record to 9-2 on the season. Canney also held No. 3 Stanford to just one run in the Wildcats' win over the Cardinal on March 5.
Canney got solid defensive help from Churchwell and freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) at second base, who both displayed fantastic range to track down infield balls from several speedy Cal batters.
Amegin also handled a hot shot at third while Cooper was able to haul in a bobbled pop up late in the game.
Northwestern returns to action at noon CT Saturday, March 19, against Kansas; however, heavy rain is in the forecast for the Sacramento area. Stay tuned to NUsports.com for weather-related updates.
