Three-Run First Propels Northwestern into Big Ten Tourney Semifinals

Friday, May 13

University Park, Pa.

11 a.m. CT/Noon ET

Northwestern

26-25

Ohio State

33-18-1

Ohio State

Northwestern

Three-Run First Propels Northwestern into Big Ten Tourney Semifinals

5/13/2016 2:27:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 3 seed Northwestern scored three runs in the first inning Friday in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal against No. 6 seed Ohio State, then got great pitching and defense to make that total hold up in a 3-1 victory against the Buckeyes.

Northwestern now has a 26-25 record and a 16-5 record in its last 21 games played. Ohio State concludes the tournament with a 33-18-1 mark after defeating No. 11 seed Rutgers in the opening round Thursday.

NU advances to play No. 2 seed Minnesota in Saturday's first semifinal at noon CT/1 p.m. ET. Minnesota bested No. 7 seed Illinois, 2-0, Friday afternoon.

Wildcats' starter Kristen Wood worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first to set the stage for an eight-batter, three-run rally for NU in the bottom half. Sabrina Rabin and Morgan Nelson each led off with singles and steals, putting runners immediately at second and third against Ohio State starter Lena Springer. Andrea Filler drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to center, then, after an Amy Letourneau walk, Sammy Nettling brought Nelson in with an RBI groundout.

Sophomore Brooke Marquez put the finishing touches on the outburst, lining a double to the wall in center field to score Letourneau and build NU's lead to 3-0. Marquez's 10^th double of the year also knocked Springer from the circle in favor of Ohio State ace Shelby Hursh, who ended the inning.

NU nearly rallied again in the bottom of the second when Krista Williams and Rabin each singled to start the frame, but this time Hursh recovered to retire the next three in order.

Ohio State got its first hit of the game against Wood to lead off the top of the third. Wood left that Buckeye standing at second base with a backward K for the third out, preserving the Wildcats' 3-0 edge.

The Buckeyes were able to cash in for the first time in the fourth, turning a leadoff walk into a run on a one-out double. Letourneau immediately took over for Wood in the circle after the first hard contact of the entire game for Ohio State, and the fifth-year senior quickly shut down the rally with the score 3-1.

Both teams got early base runners through the middle innings, and both Hursh and Letourneau kept those runners from scoring. Nettling was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the fifth, and pinch runner Marissa Panko made it to third with one out before Hursh fanned the next Wildcats. In the top of the sixth, Ohio State recorded a leadoff single and Letourneau responded by retiring the next three in a row.

Northwestern loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth in its best chance for a crooked number since the first frame, but the next batter flew into an 8-5 double play that ended the inning.

Of course, the Buckeyes got their leadoff batter aboard in the top of the seventh, but once again Letourneau bore down. The fifth-year senior got the final out on a short fly ball to left that Williams came racing in on, sliding to make the game-ending catch.

Letourneau (14-10) got the win in relief, going 3.2 innings of scoreless relief and giving up just three hits. Wood allowed one run in 3.1 innings in her start. She allowed two hits and two walks with a strikeout.

Rabin, Nelson and Marquez each had two-hit days at the plate. Rabin swiped two bases.

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