Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
5-9
Stanford University
15-3
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gerhart, Teagan (15-1)
L: Lamberth, Meghan (2-3)
Batting:
RBI: Schmidt, Tegan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hansen, Ashley 1
SB: White, Leah 1
CS: Winter, Hanna 1 ; Hanewich, Corey 1
Batting:
3B: Albanese, Sammy 1
Base Running:
CS: Allard, Emily 1
HBP: Scharkey, Kristin 1 ; Monka, Adrienne 1 ; Bast, Marisa 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
No. 11 Stanford Ekes By Northwestern, 1-0
3/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Wildcats fall to 5-9 on the season with their loss while the Cardinal now is 15-3 on the year. Stanford is Northwestern's ninth opponent in its first 14 games this year that was ranked in one of the two top-25 polls at the time of the contest.
Junior Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) got the start in the circle for the Wildcats, allowing only an infield single in the top of the first. That result came in part because of a fantastic running shoestring catch from Olivia Duehr (Antioch, Ill./Antioch), who sprinted in from parts unknown in right field to record the out in a quickly closing Bermuda triangle of fielders behind second base.
Northwestern put three Wildcats on in the bottom of the first via an Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) single and hit by pitches issued to Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park), but no runs came of the runners.
Lamberth's second inning began with a leadoff walk, but the junior bore down right away with a pair of strikeouts before her catcher, Paige Tonz (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial), threw out the runner trying to steal to end the frame.
Sophomore Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) seized on that energy, leading off the bottom of the second with a deep drive into the wind in left center that caromed off the fence and allowed her to reach third for her first-career triple. Stanford's starter returned the favor against NU, though, fanning the next three batters to keep the 'Cats scoreless.
Stanford got on the board in the top of the fourth via an interesting play. After loading the bases with no outs on two walks and a fielder's choice, the next batter crushed a one-hopper to Anna Edwards (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) at second. She brought the throw home for the first out of the game, then the next batter hit a similar ball right to Bast at third. Though Bast appeared to step back and tag the base for the force before firing to first to end the inning, the umpire ruled that as the dust flew, she missed the bag and a run was able to score on the simple groundout, giving the Cardinal the game's only run.
Lamberth quashed another Stanford rally in the fifth, putting a zero on the board with two groundouts and a flyout after the first two Cardinals to the plate in the inning reached. Lamberth (2-3) would strand seven total Stanford base runners in the game, taking the loss despite largely shutting down the Cardinal by scattering six hits and two walks while compiling a trio of strikeouts.
In the bottom of the seventh, Albanese stroked a one-out single back through the middle for her second knock of the game and NU's first since her second-inning triple. Edwards then followed that up with a single through the left side of the infield to put 'Cats at first and second with one down, but that was all the further the rally would progress in the 1-0 defeat.
Northwestern returns to action at 8 p.m. CT/6 p.m. local time tonight against Oregon State on Field 2 at the DeMarini Invitational.
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