Albanese, Northwestern Shut Out Wisconsin, 2-0

4/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball

April 9, 2011

Box Score

Site: Madison, Wis. (Goodman Diamond)
Score: Northwestern 2, Wisconsin 0
Records: NU (19-10, 1-3 Big Ten), Wisconsin (20-15, 2-4 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: April 13, 2011 -- vs. Michigan State (Sharon J. Drysdale Field), 2 p.m./4 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. -- Freshman Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) fired a three-hit shutout in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Wisconsin, helping the Wildcats earn a split in the series with a 2-0 victory.

Northwestern improves to 19-10 overall on the year with its win, 1-3 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin now is 20-15 overall on the season, 2-4 in the conference.

Northwestern put the game's first run on the board in the top of the second. Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) earned a leadoff walk, then moved to second on Kelly Quinn's (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) groundout. A Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) single back through the middle brought Bast around to the plate to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Wisconsin got a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second against Albanese, but Albanese then started a 1-6-3 double play to help escape the inning.

The Wildcats then added a second run in the top of the third. With two outs, Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) drew back-to-back walks before a Bast single loaded the bases. Quinn then received a four-pitch walk to force Monka home and extend the NU lead to 2-0. After the walk, Wisconsin lifted starting pitcher Amanda Najdek in favor of Meghan McIntosh, who ended the inning.

The Wildcats again loaded the bags in the top of the fourth on a Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled) walk, an Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) fielder's choice grounder that erased Ackerman, a Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) single and an intentional walk to Monka. Batts, however, hit a liner off the end of her bat that dipped into the glove of the shortstop to end the rally.

Wisconsin hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth against Albanese, but the freshman recovered to strike out the side and keep the Badgers scoreless through four.

Northwestern loaded the bags for the third time in the game in the top of the sixth. First, Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) reached base on an error before Allard beat out an infield single -- extending her current hitting streak to 20 games in the process. Monka was issued a two-out intentional walk (her fourth walk of the game) but again, NU was unable to cash in on the opportunity.

Albanese issued a leadoff walk in the sixth before fanning the next two batters to the plate. During those Ks, the Badger on base moved to second on a wild pitch. A two-out single through the middle sent the runner racing toward the plate, but Scharkey fired a bullet to Ackerman at home to end the inning and keep Northwestern up by a 2-0 score.

With the scoreboard the same heading into the bottom of the seventh, Albanese retired the side in order to finish off the win. She went 7.0 innings, allowing three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

Bast led NU at the plate with a 2-for-3 day. Monka did not have an official at-bat, walking four times and scoring once.

Northwestern returns to action at 2 p.m. CT Wednesday, April 13, in a Big Ten doubleheader against Michigan State at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

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