Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Erin Dyer Slam Gives No. 16 Northwestern 4-3 Win Over Wisconsin
3/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 29, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) blasted a grand slam in the third inning Saturday against Wisconsin at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, giving No. 16 Northwestern all the runs it would need in a 4-3 win.
The victory improves the Wildcats to 15-9 overall on the season, 2-0 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin falls to 10-23 with its loss, 0-2 in the conference.
Northwestern kicked off the bottom of third inning with back-to-back infield singles by senior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola). Two outs later, a walk from Wisconsin starter Leah Vanevenhoven to sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) loaded the bases.
Dyer then unleashed a grand slam deep over the left-center field fence to bring everybody home and give Northwestern a 4-0 lead. The home run was the second in as many days for Dyer, giving her four on the season and 20 for her career, tying her with Gretchen Barnes (1999-2002) for fourth in Northwestern history.
Wisconsin halved the NU lead in the top of the fourth, putting its first two batters on thanks to a hit by pitch and a single against Wildcats' starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias). Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, then scored when a squeeze bunt attempt got through the charging infield to make the score 4-2.
The Badgers inched to within one, 4-3, in the top of the sixth when the leadoff batter again was hit by a pitch before coming around to score on a two-out jam shot single behind the bag at second.
In the bottom of the sixth, junior Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) was hit by a one-out pitch, then replaced at first by pinch runner Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King). Thompson stole second, then Vanevenhoven (4-11) issued freshman Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) a walk. A groundout from Sengewald pushed both runners up a bag, then Williams was given an intentional pass to load the bases with two outs, but the inning ended there with no runs scored.
Dyer finished with four RBIs in the game, giving her seven in the two-game series against the Badgers. Williams was a perfect 2-for-2 in the game with two walks (one intentional) and a run scored.
Delaney (13-6) earned the win, going the distance and allowing three runs on three hits and one walk with two hit batters and nine strikeouts.
Northwestern returns to action at noon CT tomorrow, Sunday, March 30, with a doubleheader against Minnesota at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
