Long Beach State Outlasts Northwestern in Extras, 2-1 (9)

3/17/2017 4:00:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – For the second-straight game, Northwestern battled through a scoreless game into extra innings only to fall in international tiebreak play – this time in a controversial 2-1, nine-inning decision against Long Beach State to kick off the Santa Clara Round Robin Tournament.

Northwestern (6-13) and Long Beach State (9-16-1) with have a rematch Sunday at the tournament. Northwestern returns to action immediately against Lehigh at the Santa Clara Round Robin.

NU's final game at the Judi Garman Classic two weeks ago saw the Wildcat take No. 8 Washington into extra innings in a scoreless game, where Northwestern fell 3-0 (8). NU now is 0-4 in extra-inning games, with three of those losses to ranked foes.

Long Beach State had the game's first scoring threat, putting a runner at third base with one out in the top of the second via a triple against NU's starter Kenzie Ellis. The NU sophomore promptly fanned the next batter before, after a two-out walk, she got a line drive to third that Morgan Nelson handled to end the threat.

Northwestern finally got its best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth when Alcy Bush, Marissa Panko and Kenzie Ellis all walked to load the bases. Sammy Nettling stepped in and SMOKED a line drive to center field, but it went directly to the 49er patrolling the area to end the inning with the game still scoreless.

After yet another 1-2-3 Ellis inning in the top of the seventh, Anna Petersen drew an immediate leadoff walk in the bottom half. At that point, Long Beach State lifted starter Christina Clermont, who had been so effective all game long before losing some control late. Jessica Flores replaced her.

Emma Bartz pinch ran for Petersen at first and quickly stole second base, but was cut down at third trying to advance on a ground ball up the middle from Morgan Newport. Bush moved Newport to second with a two-out single – NU's first hit in the game since Williams' leadoff single in the first – before Long Beach State got out of the threat to send the contest to extras.

LBSU successfully plated its international tiebreak runner in the top of the eighth, and Ellis stranded a second runner at third to keep it a 1-0 contest going into the bottom half.

Morgan Nelson started the bottom of the eighth on second as NU's ITB runner, moving to third when Williams groundout out. Panko worked her third walk of the game and stole second before Ellis dinked a single over the head of the first baseman to plate Nelson and tie the game. With Panko now standing at third as the winning run, Nettling hit a grounder up the middle that the shortstop fielded, firing in time to the plate to erase Panko and keep the game moving to the ninth in a 1-1 tie.

Morgan Newport replaced Ellis in the circle in the top of the ninth, quickly surrendering a single to move the ITB runner to third. Later, with one out and two runners in scoring position, the first illegal pitch call against Newport in her career pushed what proved to be the winning run across the plate. To her credit, Newport recovered from the call and stranded the second runner at third to keep NU within a run, 2-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, Petersen started at second, moving to third when the throw on a Newport sacrifice bunt went to third and was late. Brooke Marquez then singled on a bunt to load the bases with no outs. In the best of opportunities, NU was unable to cash in, going flyout, strikeout, ground out to end the game.

Newport took the loss in relief to even her record at 3-3, allowing one unearned run on one hit with one strikeout. Ellis went 8.0 innings in the start, giving up one unearned run on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts.