Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Northwestern Sweeps Illinois, 4-1
4/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 2, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- A pair of two-run doubles in the fifth inning propelled No. 20 Northwestern past Illinois, 4-1, Saturday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, giving the Wildcats a sweep of their Conference series with the Illini.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 20-9 on the season, 2-0 in the Big Ten. Illinois falls to 15-13, 0-2 in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are a perfect 4-0 against the Illini at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. NU also swept the Big Ten series in 2003. Illinois started their program in 2001.
Junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) earned a complete game victory for the Wildcats, allowing a single run on three hits and three walks with 11 strikeouts. Her record improves to 9-4 with the win.
She now has 651 career strikeouts, good for second-place all-time at Northwestern by herself.
Foster gave up an early run Saturday to put NU in a 1-0 hole after the first inning, but she scattered the Illini's five other baserunners over the remaining six frames.
In the third, it appeared as though the Wildcats would equalize. Sophomore Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) hit a one-out single, then stole second. Senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) then reached on a two-out error by the shortstop. Mobley stole second to put runners on second and third with sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) coming to the plate.
Cooper laced a ball up the middle destined for center field and at least one RBI, but it shot off the foot of the pitcher directly to the shortstop, who threw Cooper out at first to end the inning.
In the fifth inning, Cooper did get her RBIs. Freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) and Logan led off with singles, then freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) loaded the bases with a fielder's choice ball.
After Mobley went down swinging, Cooper hit a double down the left-field line to score Sengewald and Logan and give NU the lead, 2-1. Junior Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake) replaced Cooper on the basepaths, then scored along with Churchwell when junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) hit her 11th double of the year to push NU's lead to 4-1.
Logan and Cooper both finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate for Northwestern. Both of Cooper's hits were doubles.
Mary Miller took the loss for Illinois for the second consecutive game, dropping her record to 10-7.
NU takes on No. 24/19 Iowa at Noon tomorrow, Sunday, April 3, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
