Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Hawaii
No. 13 Northwestern Blows By Hawaii, 6-2
2/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 13, 2009
HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 13 Northwestern used three-run outbursts in the first and fifth innings to defeat Hawaii, 6-2, Friday afternoon at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.
The win improves Northwestern to 3-2 overall on the season while Hawaii drops to 1-5 with the loss.
Hawaii put a pair of runners on base in the top of the first without a base hit, but Northwestern turned in a great defensive play to end the frame. With one out, pitcher Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) induced a grounder back to herself. She wheeled and fired to Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King), who then came back to Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) at first to complete the rare 1-5-3 twin killing.
Northwestern jumped on Hawaii in its half of the first. Senior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Helias) led off with a single to center, then moved to second on a sacrifice attempt by Thompson. The throw to first on Thompson's hit was off the mark, allowing the sophomore to reach. One out later, sophomore Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) shot a single back up the middle to plate Williams for a 1-0 NU lead.
With two outs in the inning, sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) stepped to the plate and stroked a triple to the fence in right, scoring Thompson and Batts all the way from first for a 3-0 NU advantage.
The Wildcats turned another double play in the top of the second. After the leadoff batter reached on an error, Northwestern got out of the frame one out later with a more conventional 5-4-3 double erasure.
Delaney had a no-hitter going through 4.2 innings of action, fanning four batters in a row from the fourth to the fifth innings before Hawaii got a two-out home run in the top of the fifth to cut the NU lead to two, 3-1.
Northwestern answered the Hawaii home run with one of its own immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Williams led off with a bomb to left that a strong wind tried to push foul, but it wrapped around the pole to make the score 4-1. The homer was the first of the season for Williams and the 43rd of her career.
Thompson followed with a bunt single to short before Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) kept the homer train rolling with a blast directly into the teeth of the strong wind to make the Northwestern lead five, 6-1. The four-bagger was Pauly's second of the season and the 31st of her career, tying her with senior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) for fourth in the NU record book. The hit also chased Hawaii starter Courtney Baughman (1-3) from the circle in favor of Stephanie Ricketts.
Monka led off the top of the sixth with a laser beam double to the fence in right center, then was replaced at second by pinch runner Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). A fly ball out to deep left center from pinch hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) moved Euler to third, but Euler was tagged out at the plate on another fly ball out to end the inning.
Hawaii added a run in the top of the seventh on a leadoff solo home run before Delaney fanned the next two batters. A two-out walk and single put Wahine on first and second before Delaney got a soft liner to Pauly at second to end the game.
Williams and Batts both finished 2-for-3 in the game, with Williams scoring a pair of runs. Pauly and Kelly Dyer drove in two runs each.
Delaney (3-2) earned the win for Northwestern, surrendering three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.
Northwestern is scheduled to return to action at 10:15 p.m. CT tonight against No. 4 UCLA at UNLV's Eller Media Stadium.
