Northwestern Sweeps Penn State, 3-1

Saturday, April 8

University Park, Pa.

11:00 AM

Northwestern

25-8, 6-0

Penn State

21-9, 1-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Penn State	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	0
Northwestern	3	0	0	0	0	0	X	3	5	1

4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

April 8, 2006

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- After waiting until the seventh inning to score Friday night against Penn State, No. 16 Northwestern pounced early Saturday with a three-run, first-inning Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) home run to claim a 3-1 decision over the Nittany Lions.

With the victory, Northwestern extends its current winning streak to eight and improves to 25-8 overall on the year. The Wildcats are a perfect 6-0 in the Big Ten. Penn State falls to 21-9 for the season, 1-5 in the conference.

Freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) led the first frame off with a walk for the 'Cats, then advanced to second on an infield single from junior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol).

Junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) hit into a fielder's choice to erase Williams at third and keep runners at first and second with one out.

Amegin then parked an offering from Penn State starter Ashley Esparza over the left-field fence for a three-run home run and a 3-0 Wildcat lead.

The four-bagger was Amegin's team-best seventh of the season, and the 32nd in her career. The Northwestern all-time home run leader now is tied for seventh on the Big Ten's career list.

In the top of the third inning, Northwestern starter Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) recorded her fourth strikeout of the game, fanning Meghan Wolfer to end the frame. The swinging `K' by Wolfer was Foster's fourth of the game and the 900th of the senior's career. She ranks second on the Wildcats' all-time list behind former NCAA career record-holder Lisa Ishikawa (1984-87).

Northwestern's two leadoff batters reached base in the bottom of the third, with Logan singling and Cooper drawing a walk. Penn State then elected to replace Esparza in the circle with Jenn Reynolds.

Amegin followed with a long flyout to right field, allowing Logan to tag and move to third. Then, with two outs in the inning, senior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) hit a ball behind third base that PSU shortstop Jen Acunto laid out to catch to end the inning.

Penn State scored its first run of the series in the top of the fifth, getting a leadoff double followed by a single down the right-field line to cut the Northwestern lead to two, 3-1.

Foster (14-4) picked up the win after allowing one run on four hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts. She now has 906 strikeouts for her career, and ranks 26th in NCAA Division I history with a 9.0 K/per seven innings ratio.

Logan finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, while senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) also collected two base hits for the Wildcats.

Northwestern returns to action a 11 a.m. CT Sunday, April 9, with a doubleheader at Ohio State.