Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Indiana
Wildcats Finish Off Hoosiers, 4-2
4/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 16, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) struck out 17 batters and sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) hit a fifth-inning home run to power No. 16 Northwestern past Indiana, 4-2, Saturday afternoon at the IU Softball Complex.
With the win, Northwestern (28-9) completes its fifth consecutive sweep of a Conference opponent, running its record to a perfect 10-0 in the Big Ten. Indiana falls to 12-29 with the loss, 2-6 in the Big Ten.
Just like the first game of the series on Friday, Northwestern took the lead in its half of the first inning. Senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill), Cooper and junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) hit back-to-back-to-back singles in the frame, with Dotson's driving in Mobley to give NU a 1-0 lead.
The RBI was Dotson's 43rd of the season, one shy of the school's single-season record set last season by Cooper.
Junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) came to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs, and struck out on a ball in the dirt. The catcher could not handle the pitch, however, and an alert McCorkle took off for first. The throw down bounced off the first baseman's glove, allowing McCorkle to reach and Dotson to score from second, giving NU a 2-0 lead.
Indiana got a run back in the top of the fourth inning when Tory Yamaguchi registered Indiana's first hit and first run of the game with a solo homer to left field, cutting NU's lead to one, 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, NU answered with a home run of its own. Freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) led off with a single up the middle, then Cooper hit a towering home run to right center to extend Northwestern's lead to 4-1.
The home run was the seventh of the season for Cooper and the 18th of her career. She is now tied for third-place all time at Northwestern, two home runs shy of teammate Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove), who has 20.
In the top of the seventh, Indiana got one run back before Foster closed the door by striking out the side.
Foster (13-4) was strong in the circle, already striking out 10 Hoosiers through the fourth frame. She also struck out the side in the second, fourth and fifth innings, and allowed three hits and two walks in the game.
Megan Roark took the loss for Indiana, falling to 9-15.
Cooper finished 2-for-3 with her pair of RBIs, while Dotson also was 2-for-3 with a single run batted in.
Northwestern returns to action at noon tomorrow, Sunday, April 17th, with a doubleheader at Purdue.
