#B1GCats Break Out Bats to Beat The Beach, 10-2

3/19/2017 1:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Northwestern opened its final day of action Sunday at the Santa Clara Round Robin Tournament with a resounding 10-2 win over Long Beach State, avenging an earlier extra-inning loss to the 49ers in the event.

Northwestern moves to 3-2 at the Santa Clara Round Robin, 9-14 overall on the season. Long Beach State suffers its first loss of the entire weekend to fall to 4-1 in the tournament and 11-17-1 on the year.

Northwestern returns to action immediately in its final game at Santa Clara, taking on the host Broncos.

After not scoring at all in regulation against the 49ers on Friday, the Wildcats wasted little time Sunday morning. With one away in the top of the first, Marissa Panko drew a walk but erased at second, leaving Sammy Nettling standing on first base with two away. Kenzie Ellis ripped a single into right, then Anna Petersen was hit by the first pitch to her to load the bases before Brooke Marquez singled sharply up the middle, scoring Nettling and putting NU up 1-0 before the rally came to a close.

Long Beach State attempted an answer when its leadoff batter of the game doubled against Northwestern starter Kaley Winegarner. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, the speedy 49er took off for the plate on a ground ball to Morgan Nelson at third, but the sophomore's throw to the plate was in plenty of time – so much time that the runner was able to turn and race back toward third. Nettling took off after her and dove, clipping the runner's heel with her glove to record the out and end the threat.

NU's top of the second began with back-to-back base hits for Alcy Bush and Abbey Boyd, the latter being the first hit of the junior's collegiate career. The Wildcats were unable to cash in on that specific opportunity, however.

In the top of the third, Northwestern did take advantage of a two-on, nobody out situation. Ellis drew a walk and Long Beach quickly replaced its starter Devyn Magnett with Friday's starter Christina Clermont, who immediately displayed control issues. She hit Petersen with a pitch before, one out later, walking Nelson to load the bases. Then, with Bush at the plate, a wild pitch brought pinch runner Emma Bartz across the plate to extend NU's lead to 2-0.

After the wild pitch, LBSU used its third pitcher of the inning, inserting Jessica Flores into the circle. Flores earned the win in relief in Friday's meeting between these two teams, and she kept the Wildcats from scoring and further in the frame.

In the bottom of the third, Long Beach State got a bases-loaded, two-out single against Winegarner to knot the score, 2-2. Morgan Newport took over in the circle and stranded two more 49ers on base to preserve the tie score heading into the fourth, where NU surged back in front with a crooked number.

Krista Williams and Panko started the rally with leadoff singles, then moved up when Ellis drew a walk to load the bags with one down. Petersen started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field that brought Williams across for a 3-2 NU edge. Marquez followed with a line-drive to left center field that tipped off the glove of a leaping 49er fielder, rolling all the way to the fence for a two-run triple and a 5-2 Wildcats advantage.

Now with the lead, Newport faced leadoff runners in both the fourth and fifth LBSU offensive innings. In the fourth, Newport got a strikeout and ended the inning on a nice running catch of a line drive in left field by Boyd before her infield turned a 6-4-3 double play to close out the fifth frame.

Northwestern added to its tally in the sixth when Ellis and Petersen each doubled to start the frame, chasing Flores from the circle in favor of LBSU's fourth hurler of the contest, Skie Munoz. Marquez greeted her with a single to left that plated Petersen to make it a 7-2 game before Munoz ended the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Munoz walked Williams and Panko to start the frame, prompting Long Beach State to re-enter its starter Magnett into the circle. Pinch hitter Renee Ariola grounded out to move both Williams and Panko up a bag, then both Wildcats came around to score on Ellis' third hit of the ballgame. Marquez continued her career day with a single back through the middle, plating pinch runner Eva Stees to cap the scoring at 10-2.

Marquez led Northwestern at the plate with a career-best four hits and a career-high five RBIs. Ellis was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, Petersen had two RBIs, and both Williams and Panko crossed the plate twice.

Newport picked up the victory in relief to move to 5-3 on the season. She tossed 4.1 frames, giving up no runs on two hits with three strikeouts. Winegarner went 2.2 innings in her start, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.