Massachusetts Takes Game One, 1-0

Friday, May 26

Evanston, Ill.

3:00 PM

Northwestern

45-13

Massachusetts

41-14

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

5/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 26, 2006

EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 4 seed Northwestern hit the ball hard off Massachusetts' ace Brandice Balschmiter, but the Minutewomen made some amazing plays in the field -- including a diving catch to end the game and prevent a run in the seventh -- to take a 1-0 lead in the NCAA Evanston Super Regional with a 1-0 win Friday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

The two teams now square off again at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, May 27 in the second game of the series. A Northwestern victory in that contest would force a game three to be held immediately following.

The contest began with the teams trading impressive double plays in the first inning. With a runner on first and one out in the top of the frame, Northwestern starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) induced a ground ball to senior second-baseman Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake), who flipped to freshman shortstop Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) to start a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play.

The Minutewomen then picked up a twin-killing of their own in the bottom of the first. With Williams on a first courtesy of a walk, junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) crushed a ball to third that Whitney Mollica leapt to catch, then she fired to first to just beat a diving Williams back to the bag to end the frame.

The game remained scoreless through the first three innings, though Northwestern hit Balschmiter well. Senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) ripped a line drive to third that was caught for an out, and Crane uncorked a hard liner to right field, but it went directly to the fielder for an out.

The Minutewomen plated the first run of the game in the top of the fourth after a two-out double put a runner on. K.J. Kelly then singled through the left side of the infield and junior Katie Logan's (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) throw home hit the runner in the back to give UMass the 1-0 lead.

Northwestern immediately mounted a rally in the bottom of the frame. Williams notched a one-out single back up the middle, then Cooper again creamed a ball to third base. This time, the ball took the glove right off Mollica's hand and both runners were safe on the base hit.

In the bottom of the fifth, senior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) led off with a sharp single into right field. Freshman Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) then sacrificed McCorkle to second before the senior stole third with a fantastic slide around Mollica's tag attempt. Balschmiter again was able to escape the inning, though, to keep the 'Cats scoreless.

When the game became official after the fifth, Dotson became Northwestern's all-time leader in games started and played with 226. She takes over first on that list from Susan Harrelson (1992-95), who played in 225.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dotson led off with a bloop single into left field, then was replaced by pinch-runner Ann Schraufnagel (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) then attempted to sacrifice Schraufnagel over, but UMass nailed the lead runner for a fielder's choice. Freshman Gina Gonzalez (LaVerne, Calif./Bonita) then ran for Amegin.

McCorkle advanced Gonzalez to second with a groundout, bringing Dyer to the plate with two gone. Dyer crushed a sinking line drive to right field that would have scored Gonzalez easily, but Lesley Ferrara sprinted in and made a diving catch of the ball to rob a hit and end the game.

Canney (23-7) took the loss despite striking out 10 batters and allowing just three hits and two walks.