Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, April 10
Evanston, Ill.
Noon CT
Northwestern
14-20, 5-4
9
vs
5
Iowa
9-26, 1-10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Hawkeyes
1
0
2
0
0
0
2
5
10
4
Northwestern
0
0
3
2
0
4
X
9
9
0
Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
Northwestern Sweeps Iowa With 9-5 Sunday Victory
4/10/2016 2:58:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Iowa took an early 3-0 lead, but Northwestern came storming back Sunday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field to sweep the three-game series with a 9-5 victory in the finale.
Northwestern now is 14-20 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten after the win. Iowa drops to 9-26, 1-10 in the league with its loss. The Wildcats next travel to Champaign for an April 13 doubleheader before returning to Sharon J. Drysdale Field to continue this month-long homestand April 15-17 against Nebraska.
The Wildcats will welcome back all five of their Women's College World Series teams during the Nebraska series with a major ceremony planned for Saturday, April 16. Grab single game tickets or passes for the rest of the season here!
Iowa sent a one-out solo home run up into a howling wind and out of the park in the top of the first against Northwestern's starting pitcher Kaley Winegarner. The Hawkeyes hit a couple more balls hard after the shot, but Sabrina Rabin in center and Morgan Nelson at third made solid catches for the 'Cats to end the frame with the score 1-0.
Nelson singled and later made her way to third on a stolen base/error combination with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Iowa's freshman hurler Erin Riding got out of the jam unscathed. Northwestern again got a runner to third in the bottom of the second when a one-out Sammy Nettling fly ball to right was dropped for a three-base error, but Riding repeated the feat in retiring the ensuing Wildcats to the plate to keep the Hawkeyes on top.
After denying Northwestern, Iowa added to its lead in the top of the third with an RBI infield single and a two-out run-scoring double to extend the score to 3-0.
The Wildcats cashed in on a two-out opportunity in a big way in the bottom of the third. Krista Williams was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Rabin followed her with a sharp single. Later, with two outs and those two 'Cats on second and third, Andrea Filler unloaded on a ball, homering high off the McGaw Hall wall to knot the score, 3-3.
The home run was Filler's second of the series, her 10th of the season and the 36th of her career (28 of which have come as a Wildcat.)
Freshman Kenzie Ellis entered the circle in the relief in the top of the fourth and recorded a shutdown inning, allowing the Wildcats to tee off on a new Hawkeyes hurler, Elizabeth Wiegand. With one out, Alcy Bush singled, Fran Strub was struck by a pitch and Williams singled to load the bases. Rabin then drove a ball deep into the outfield for a sacrifice fly that put Northwestern in the lead and left runners at the corners. Those runners, Williams (1st) and Strub (3rd), executed a picture-perfect double steal, making it a 5-3 Wildcats' edge after four frames.
Iowa attempted to respond in the top of the fifth against Ellis, loading the bases through the heart of the order with two outs. Ellis got the next batter to ground to Brooke Marquez at second, where the sophomore expertly handled the ball off the wet infield to end the inning.
The Hawkeyes did more rally building in the top of the sixth, getting runners to first and second with one out. Amy Letourneau entered the circle in relief and deconstructed the rally, by going strikeout-ground out and ending the inning.
It was the Wildcats' turn to rally in the bottom of the sixth, and they did so quite effectively, beginning with Bush's second single of the contest. Marissa Panko entered to run for her and moved up a bag on a Strub sacrifice bunt before Anna Petersen drew her third pinch-hit walk of the series. While Williams was re-entering to run for Petersen, Iowa placed its third pitcher of the game in the circle in the form of Mallory Kilian.
Rabin put a ball in play that moved both runners up a bag on what was initially deemed to be a single before the umpires convened and instead ruled that the ball beat Rabin for an out. All that play did was turn Nelson's ensuing BOMB to centerfield into a three-run home run instead of a grand slam, pushing NU's lead out to 8-3 on the freshman's seventh home run of the year.
The Hawkeyes again made a pitching change after the blast, inserting Shayla Starkenburg into the action. She gave up a single to Letourneau and a double to Filler that sent Letourneau racing around the bases and across the plate, making it a 9-3 game before the inning came to a close.
As they did in each of the first two games of the series, the Hawkeyes put something together in the top of the seventh. The first three batters to the plate all singled to send one runner across before a wild pitch brought the Iowa deficit down to 9-5. Letourneau then notched a strikeout before Nelson made an incredible barehanded play on a spinning check-swing grounder at third to record the second out of the frame. That play broke the spirit in the rally, and a backward K ended the game.
Ellis (5-5) picked up the victory in relief for the Wildcats, going 2.1 innings and giving up no runs on four hits and two walks. Letourneau earned the first save of her season with 1.2 frames, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Winegarner went 3.0 innings in the start, surrendering three runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
At the plate, Filler had two hits and four RBIs while Morgan drove in three on a pair of hits. Bush singled twice and Williams scored twice.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Northwestern now is 14-20 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten after the win. Iowa drops to 9-26, 1-10 in the league with its loss. The Wildcats next travel to Champaign for an April 13 doubleheader before returning to Sharon J. Drysdale Field to continue this month-long homestand April 15-17 against Nebraska.
The Wildcats will welcome back all five of their Women's College World Series teams during the Nebraska series with a major ceremony planned for Saturday, April 16. Grab single game tickets or passes for the rest of the season here!
Iowa sent a one-out solo home run up into a howling wind and out of the park in the top of the first against Northwestern's starting pitcher Kaley Winegarner. The Hawkeyes hit a couple more balls hard after the shot, but Sabrina Rabin in center and Morgan Nelson at third made solid catches for the 'Cats to end the frame with the score 1-0.
Nelson singled and later made her way to third on a stolen base/error combination with two outs in the bottom of the first, but Iowa's freshman hurler Erin Riding got out of the jam unscathed. Northwestern again got a runner to third in the bottom of the second when a one-out Sammy Nettling fly ball to right was dropped for a three-base error, but Riding repeated the feat in retiring the ensuing Wildcats to the plate to keep the Hawkeyes on top.
After denying Northwestern, Iowa added to its lead in the top of the third with an RBI infield single and a two-out run-scoring double to extend the score to 3-0.
The Wildcats cashed in on a two-out opportunity in a big way in the bottom of the third. Krista Williams was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Rabin followed her with a sharp single. Later, with two outs and those two 'Cats on second and third, Andrea Filler unloaded on a ball, homering high off the McGaw Hall wall to knot the score, 3-3.
The home run was Filler's second of the series, her 10th of the season and the 36th of her career (28 of which have come as a Wildcat.)
Freshman Kenzie Ellis entered the circle in the relief in the top of the fourth and recorded a shutdown inning, allowing the Wildcats to tee off on a new Hawkeyes hurler, Elizabeth Wiegand. With one out, Alcy Bush singled, Fran Strub was struck by a pitch and Williams singled to load the bases. Rabin then drove a ball deep into the outfield for a sacrifice fly that put Northwestern in the lead and left runners at the corners. Those runners, Williams (1st) and Strub (3rd), executed a picture-perfect double steal, making it a 5-3 Wildcats' edge after four frames.
Iowa attempted to respond in the top of the fifth against Ellis, loading the bases through the heart of the order with two outs. Ellis got the next batter to ground to Brooke Marquez at second, where the sophomore expertly handled the ball off the wet infield to end the inning.
The Hawkeyes did more rally building in the top of the sixth, getting runners to first and second with one out. Amy Letourneau entered the circle in relief and deconstructed the rally, by going strikeout-ground out and ending the inning.
It was the Wildcats' turn to rally in the bottom of the sixth, and they did so quite effectively, beginning with Bush's second single of the contest. Marissa Panko entered to run for her and moved up a bag on a Strub sacrifice bunt before Anna Petersen drew her third pinch-hit walk of the series. While Williams was re-entering to run for Petersen, Iowa placed its third pitcher of the game in the circle in the form of Mallory Kilian.
Rabin put a ball in play that moved both runners up a bag on what was initially deemed to be a single before the umpires convened and instead ruled that the ball beat Rabin for an out. All that play did was turn Nelson's ensuing BOMB to centerfield into a three-run home run instead of a grand slam, pushing NU's lead out to 8-3 on the freshman's seventh home run of the year.
The Hawkeyes again made a pitching change after the blast, inserting Shayla Starkenburg into the action. She gave up a single to Letourneau and a double to Filler that sent Letourneau racing around the bases and across the plate, making it a 9-3 game before the inning came to a close.
As they did in each of the first two games of the series, the Hawkeyes put something together in the top of the seventh. The first three batters to the plate all singled to send one runner across before a wild pitch brought the Iowa deficit down to 9-5. Letourneau then notched a strikeout before Nelson made an incredible barehanded play on a spinning check-swing grounder at third to record the second out of the frame. That play broke the spirit in the rally, and a backward K ended the game.
Ellis (5-5) picked up the victory in relief for the Wildcats, going 2.1 innings and giving up no runs on four hits and two walks. Letourneau earned the first save of her season with 1.2 frames, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Winegarner went 3.0 innings in the start, surrendering three runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
At the plate, Filler had two hits and four RBIs while Morgan drove in three on a pair of hits. Bush singled twice and Williams scored twice.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ellis, Kenzie (5-5)
L: Wiegand, Elizabeth (5-9)
S: Letourneau, Amy (1)
Batting:
2B: Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 1 ; Hoffman, Holly 1
HR: Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 1
RBI: Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 2 ; Hoffman, Holly 1 ; Repole, Whitney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 2 ; Gyerman, Sammi 1 ; Hansel, Haley 1 ; Taylor, Katy 1
SB: Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 1 ; Taylor, Katy 1
Batting:
2B: Filler, Andrea 1
HR: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Filler, Andrea 1
RBI: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 3 ; Filler, Andrea 4
SH: Strub, Fran 1
SF: Rabin, Sabrina 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Letourneau, Amy 1 ; Filler, Andrea 1 ; Bush, Alcy 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Strub, Fran 1 ; Williams, Krista 2
SB: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Strub, Fran 1 ; Williams, Krista 1
HBP: Strub, Fran 1 ; Williams, Krista 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
P/1B
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
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