Wildcats Homer, Run Past Wolfpack, 8-4

2/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 25, 2011

Box Score

Site: Cathedral City, Calif. (Pawtucket Field at Big League Dreams Park)
Score: Northwestern 8, Nevada 4
Records: NU (5-3), Nevada (2-9)
Next NU Event: Feb. 25, 2011 -- vs. Florida State (Cathedral City Classic), Immediately

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Northwestern broke open a back-and-forth affair against Nevada with a four-run fourth inning Friday afternoon at the Cathedral City Classic, going on to defeat the Wolfpack, 8-4.

Northwestern improves to 5-3 on the season with its win while Nevada falls to 2-9 on the year with its loss.

Nevada found the scoreboard first in the first. Three-straight batters earned one-out singles against NU starter Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) -- with the second coming after an 11-pitch at-bat -- to take a 1-0 advantage before the Wildcats came to the plate. The inning ended with the bases loaded when Albanese jammed the batter and caught the ensuing pop-up herself at the back edge of the circle.

The Wildcats came right back to tie in the bottom of the first. Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) led off the frame with a walk, but was erased on a fielder's choice grounder from Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King). Thompson then stole second before moving to third one out later on an illegal pitch. She scored when Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) smacked a double to the fence in right.

After Albanese set the Wolfpack side down in order in a much quieter top of the second, NU grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Paige Tonz (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) drew a one-out walk, getting to second when Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) beat out an infield single. With two outs, both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Tonz scored when Allard knocked a high-chop infield single that the pitcher could not handle.

In the top of the third, Nevada got runners to second and third with no outs after back-to-back walks and a wild pitch. Albanese fanned the next batter for out number one, but the Pack knotted the game, 2-2, on a fielder's choice grounder when the throw home did not arrive in time to put out the lead runner. With runners now at first and third, Albanese got her second K of the inning and a comebacker to retire the side.

Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) untied the score with one pitch in the bottom of the third, taking Nevada starter Bailey Brewer (0-4) over the fence in center to make it a 3-2 game. Batts then ripped a ground-rule double over the temporary fence in right to chase Brewer from the circle in favor of Mallary Darby. Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled) replaced Batts at second, then moved to third on a passed ball. Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) joined Ackerman on base via a walk, then Ackerman scored on another passed ball to make NU's lead two, 4-2, before the inning ended.

In a continuing back-and-forth affair, Nevada loaded the bases with one out against Albanese before getting a run with a walk. At that point, Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) entered the circle in relief of Albanese, fanning the first batter she faced before preserving a 4-3 lead with an inning-ending groundout to Bast at second.

Northwestern scored for the fourth-straight inning to break the game open in the fourth. Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) drew a leadoff walk, stole second, then moved to third on an Allard infield single. Thompson drove Scharkey home with an infield single of her own, moving Allard (who earlier swiped second) to third, from whence she would score on a throwing error on a Thompson steal. Monka then thumbed her nose at all of this small ball and launched her second home run of the game deep to left center to extend the NU lead to five, 8-3.

Monka now has four home runs this season and 35 for her career, moving her past Kristen Amegin (2003-06) to take sole possession of fifth-place all-time at NU for homers.

Monka and Bast combined for a great double play to aid a fast top of the fifth for Lamberth. Monka ran and reached low to snag a dying quail in front of her before turning to first to double up the runner -- who momentarily stood at second not believing Monka had been able to get to the ball for the catch.

In the bottom of the fifth, Allard beat out her third hit of the game before swiping both second and third to match her own career-high and school record of four steals in a single game. Those steals also matched NU's program mark of seven steals in a game. No scoring came of the running, though, and NU took its 8-3 lead to the sixth -- where Nevada would add an unearned run following a Wildcat error to make it an 8-4 game.

Lamberth kept Nevada off the scoreboard in the seventh, closing out the game with a 6-3 double play.

Albanese went 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and six walks with four strikeouts. Lamberth (5-0) earned the win in relief, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts.

Allard led NU at the plate with a 3-for-3 day, adding four steals and a walk. Monka was 2-for-4 with two homers and two RBIs while Batts notched two doubles and Thompson scored twice.

Northwestern returns to action immediately against Florida State at the Cathedral City Classic.

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