Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
California
No. 12 Wildcats Beat Down Bears, 8-0
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2008
HONOLULU -- No. 12 Northwestern began spring break with a bang Friday afternoon at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational, pulling away from California for a dominant 8-0 victory.
The win improves Northwestern to 13-6 on the season and 7-2 against Pac-10 power California during head coach Kate Drohan's seven year tenure. The Bears fall to 28-10 with their loss in the game.
The win was Northwestern's fifth in a row against California dating back to the 2005 season, with the Wildcats outscoring the Bears 34-3 over those five contests.
Northwestern put a pair of runners on in the top of the first when Cal starter Marissa Drewrey walked junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) and freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North), but nothing dangerous came of the bases on balls.
Cal recorded its second hit of the game against NU starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Osceola) on a dink single into right in the second that the Bear tried to turn into a double, but freshman right fielder Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) fired a bullet to Williams covering the bag to erase the overzealous runner.
Northwestern took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third against Drewrey, who had tossed a no-hitter in her previous outing the day before versus St. Mary's. Senior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) led off the frame with an infield single deep into the hole at short before Williams blasted a home run into Rainbow Wahine Stadium's tall protective netting beyond left field for a 2-0 Wildcats' advantage.
The homer was Williams' team-best fourth of the season and the 34th of her career, moving her into a tie with former Wildcat Kristen Amegin (2003-06) for second on Northwestern's all-time list. Williams also now shares eighth place in Big Ten conference history with her 34 career homer runs.
Delaney got some more good defensive help in the bottom of the fourth when third baseman Sengewald lunged behind herself and to her left to snatch a ball out of midair before tumbling to the ground for the second out in the frame, keeping the Bears off the board.
The Wildcats added a run in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) was hit by a Drewrey offering to lead off the frame, then pinch runner Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) replaced her at first. On the next pitch, Thompson stole second. On the following pitch, Thompson stole third. A few pitches later, sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) shot a single through the left side of the infield to plate Thompson for a 3-0 NU lead.
The base hit for Kelly Dyer extended her current team-best hitting streak to six games.
The 'Cats continued to hold the Bears at bay, with Delaney becoming nearly untouchable in the circle. After allowing a pair of two-out singles in the third, Delaney retired the next 10 Bears in a row entering the seventh inning.
In the top of the seventh, Northwestern broke the game wide open with a five spot on the scoreboard. Sengewald drew a leadoff walk before moving to second on a Williams single. The runners knocked Drewrey from the game in favor of Brittany LaRosa. One out later, a wild pitch moved both Wildcats up a bag before Batts laced a single into center to score both Sengewald and Williams and give NU a 5-0 lead. With Williams already headed home, the center fielder muffed the ball, allowing Batts to race to second on the play.
The base hit closed the book on Drewrey (16-5), who allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
LaRosa followed Batts' single with a walk to sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) before Erin Dyer clubbed a single into left to load the bases with one gone. One out later, junior Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) drew a walk to force Batts home.
Pinch hitter Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) stepped to the plate to join in the fun, ripping a double off the glove of the third baseman and down the left-field line to drive in both Pauly and Dyer to make the lead eight, 8-0.
LaRosa threw one complete inning for Cal, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
In the bottom of the seventh, Delaney got a strikeout, a groundout to first and a groundout to third to end the game with 13 consecutive Bears retired. Delaney (11-4) earned her fifth shutout of the season, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out eight.
Williams finished the game 2-for-3 for NU with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Batts also was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and one run scored. Quinn drove in two and Sengewald scored twice for the 'Cats.
