Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
6-11
East Carolina University
7-8
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lamberth, Meghan (3-4)
L: CHRISTIAN, Sarah (5-4)
S: Albanese, Sammy (1)
Batting:
HR: Bast, Marisa 1
RBI: Allard, Emily 1 ; Bast, Marisa 2 ; Letourneau, Amy 1
SH: Edwards, Anna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Scharkey, Kristin 1 ; Bast, Marisa 1 ; Duehr, Olivia 1 ; Majam, Mari 1
SB: Duehr, Olivia 1
Batting:
2B: FIELDHOUSE, Alex 1
HR: RIGGS, Suzanne 1
RBI: RIGGS, Suzanne 2
SH: OSHIRO, Kristi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FIELDHOUSE, Alex 1 ; RIGGS, Suzanne 1
SB: WYNNE, Abby 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Wildcats Beat Back Pirates, 4-2
3/3/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Northwestern improves to 6-11 on the season with its win while East Carolina now is 7-8 on the year following its loss.
Northwestern put a pair of runners on in the top of the first, starting with a one-out Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) single that finished with her on second when the throw got away. Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) joined her with a two-out walk, but the throw on a Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) grounder to short beat her to the bag by a half step to end the inning.
East Carolina performed the same two-on, two-out rally in its half of the first, but Northwestern starter Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) shut it down with a strikeout.
The Wildcats struck first in the top of the second. Freshman Olivia Duehr (Antioch, Ill./Antioch led off the frame with a single to right, moving up a base when the fielder booted the play in the outfield. She then motored around to score on an Amy Letourneau (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) single to center, rolling by off the tag from the catcher to touch the plate safely and put NU up 1-0.
Northwestern ended the second inning with an alert double play. With runners at first and second and one out, the batter hit a ball to Anna Edwards (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) at second, who fired to Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) covering the bag. Allard's toss to first was late, but Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) was able to turn and quickly send the ball to Paige Tonz (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) at the plate to put out the lead runner trying to score.
The Wildcats added to their total in the third. Scharkey's pure speed gave her a single to shortstop for her second hit of the game, then she came all the way around to score when Bast singled deep into the right-center field gap. The inning continued with an Albanese single, but ended with those two on second and third when a Letourneau liner was caught by the shortstop moving to her right into the hole.
East Carolina again prevented a Northwestern run with great fielding in the fourth. With runners at second and third and one out, Scharkey hit a bloop toward center. The fielder raced in and made a shoestring grab, recovering from the sprint enough to uncork a lethal throw to first that put out Tonz to end the inning.
Bast added a run to NU's total in the fifth with a solo home run to center that bounced beyond the bunker of the Fullerton golf team's short game practice facility and spun onto the fringe, leaving an easy up-and-down for par and a 3-0 Wildcats' lead over the Pirates. The shot was Bast's team-leading fifth of the year and the 10th of her career.
Northwestern again kept East Carolina from punching through in the fifth. With a runner at second and two outs, a Pirate singled to center, but Scharkey charged so hard and threw so fast, the lead runner stayed at third on the play. Lamberth then coaxed a harmless grounder to Edwards at second to keep NU on top, 3-0.
The Pirates made a pitching change to start the sixth, and the Wildcats greeted her immediately with a run. Letourneau began the frame with a walk, giving way to pinch runner Mari Majam (Pine Valley, Calif./Mountain Empire). Tonz moved Majam up a base with her second hit of the game, but was erased on an Edwards' fielder's choice ball that pushed Majam to third. Allard then came to the plate and singled back through the middle to score Majam and increase the NU lead to 4-0.
East Carolina finally broke through against Lamberth in the bottom of the sixth, getting a leadoff ground rule double and home run in the frame to cut Northwestern's lead in half, 4-2. At that point, Albanese entered the circle in relief of Lamberth and retired the side in order from there to preserve the two-run cushion.
Albanese and Majam singled in the top of the seventh, but the inning ended when a Lamberth deep drive to center was tracked down on the warning track. That preceded another perfect 1-2-3 inning from Albanese to close out the win.
Bast finished the day 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs while Tonz also had a 2-for-3 ballgame. Albanese and Scharkey each went 2-for-4 as pair of NU's 12-hit attack.
Lamberth (3-4) picked up the victory in 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Albanese picked up her first save of the season and the third of her career with 2.0 innings of work, allowing absolutely nothing with one strikeout.
Northwestern returns to action at 11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. local time tomorrow, Sunday, March 4, against Southern Miss in the Wildcats' final game at the 2012 DeMarini Invitational.
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