Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
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Kansas
No. 6 Northwestern Shuts Out Kansas, 2-0
3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2008
Box Score
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- In a game featuring tremendous defense from both teams, No. 6 Northwestern outlasted Kansas, 2-0, Saturday afternoon at the Coach B Classic in Carbondale, Ill.
Northwestern sophomore hurler Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) fired a one-hit shutout for the Wildcats, allowing only a second-inning bloop single to left and three walks while striking out nine to improve to 7-2 on the season. As a team, NU is 8-2 on the year following the win, while Kansas falls to 12-5 with its loss.
Northwestern opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, manufacturing a run for a 1-0 lead. Freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) led off the frame with a double to left, clubbing a ball that fell just in front of a diving Jayhawk fielder before scooting past to allow Batts to take the extra base. Sophomore Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) replaced Batts at second.
Junior Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) moved Euler over to third with a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, then junior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) brought Euler home with a soaring sacrifice fly to center.
The game evolved into a pitcher's duel between Northwestern's Delaney and Kansas freshman Allison Clark, but the Wildcats racked up a bunch of noisy outs. Sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) lined out hard to second to end the second, while junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) laced a ball at the shortstop that was caught to lead off the fourth. Following a double by sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) in the fourth, Rigas ripped another liner at short that was caught in enough time to double off Pauly to end the frame. Continuing the theme, freshman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) was robbed of a base knock to end the top of the fifth when Jayhawk second baseman Sara Ramirez laid out to catch a flare deep in the hole behind first.
Northwestern finally broke through for another run in the top of the sixth despite the continued sensational defense of Kansas. Pinch hitter Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) drew a leadoff walk, then freshman Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) re-entered to run for Quinn. A sacrifice bunt from Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) moved Wheeler to second, then she came around to score when a hard-hit grounder from Williams was booted at second base for an error.
With Williams on first and later at second following a wild pitch, Pauly lined out directly to the center fielder before a Batts' line drive found the glove of a lunging shortstop deep in the hole to end the inning.
Not to be outdone by the terrific plays of the Kansas team, Thompson turned in the Web Gem of the day to end the bottom of the sixth inning. The Jayhawks' Val Chapple hit a foul ball toward the Northwestern dugout down the third-base line, and the 5-foot-1 Thompson raced over from her position at third, reaching out to make the catch an instant before flipping head over heels over the fence and down into the dugout. She held onto the ball to end the inning, and came back out of the dugout none the worst for wear.
Delaney then finished the game off in the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout, a pop up to Rigas at first and another K.
Most impressive about NU's offensive effort besides ripping the cover off the ball and recording only a pair of doubles was the fact the 'Cats did not strike out once in the ballgame.
Northwestern returns to action at 6 p.m. CT tonight, Saturday, March 1 against Bradley at the Coach B Classic.
