No. 22 Fresno State Pulls Away From Northwestern, 7-1

3/4/2016 2:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

FULLERTON, CALIF. – Playing for the second time in six days, Northwestern and No. 22 Fresno State were locked in a pitcher's duel until the fifth inning Friday morning at the Judi Garman Classic before the Bulldogs pulled away for a 7-1 win over the Wildcats.

Northwestern falls to 7-8 overall on the year with its loss and Fresno State improves to 13-3 with its win. The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats in extra innings one week ago at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Wildcats return to action later this afternoon at 5 p.m. CT/3 p.m. PT against Long Beach State at the Judi Garman Classic.

Northwestern held a 1-0 lead through four innings and starting pitcher Amy Letourneau had a no-hitter through those frames before Fresno State broke through for a four-run fifth and extended from there.

The Wildcats took advantage of uncharacteristic wildness from Bulldogs' ace Jill Compton in the bottom of the first to force across a run. Sabrina Rabin and Krista Williams each drew leadoff walks before Compton retired the next two 'Cats on the first pitches of the at-bats. Compton, though, hit Brianna LeBeau with a two-out offering to load the bases before freshman Morgan Nelson worked an 0-2 count back to a full-count walk to bring Rabin home for a 1-0 NU lead.

Compton settled in from there and Letourneau was dealing as well, leading to a super quick pitcher's duel. Northwestern got a leadoff single in the second from senior Caylor Arnold, then Nelson and Arnold singled on the infield in the fourth, but the Wildcats were unable to do any more scoring either time.

Fresno State did not get its first hit in the game until the fifth inning, but it was a doozy. Following a leadoff walk, Lindsey Willmon hit her second home run against Northwestern in as many games to push the Bulldogs in front, 2-1. Later machinations including an infield single and a two-out NU error gave Fresno State a 4-1 lead with the frame finally concluded.

Northwestern attempted to respond in the bottom of the fifth when Andrea Filler was hit by a one-out pitch and then Letourneau smoked a double off the fence in left field to psuh . LeBeau then hit a fly out to center, but it ended up not being deep enough to bring home Filler and Compton escaped with no damage done.

Fresno State rallied again in the sixth, plating two more runs. With one out, two already in and the bases loaded, junior Nicole Bond entered the circle in relief of Letourneau. Bond got a pair of ground balls to strand all three runners she inherited and keep NU's deficit at 6-1 going into the bottom half. Fresno State would later tack on one more run in the top of the seventh.

Letourneau (3-5) took the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Bond tossed 1.2 innings of relief, giving up one run on two hits.

Arnold led NU at the plate with a career-best three-hit day.