Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, May 18
Athens, Ga.
11 a.m. CT/Noon ET
Northwestern
37-17
3
vs
2
California
34-20
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Northwestern
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
3
6
1
California
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
7
1
Photo by: Steve Colquitt
Northwestern Guts Out 3-2 (8) Win Over Cal In NCAA Opener
5/18/2018 3:06:00 PM | Softball
ATHENS, Ga. – Northwestern staved off a determined California team in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday in the teams' NCAA Athens Regional opener to force extra innings, where the Wildcats plated a run and held on for a 3-2 (8) victory.
Northwestern is 37-17 overall on the season with its win while California falls to 34-20.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Wildcats now advance to the winner's bracket game at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Saturday against No. 7 seed Georgia, which defeated Ivy League champion Harvard, 6-2, Friday evening. The game has been moved up 2.5 hours to avoid forecasted poor weather.
Northwestern has a history in its opening game: in 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wildcats are 13-5 in the opener. The contest was Northwestern ninth extra-inning affair in NCAA postseason play; the Wildcats are 6-3 all-time in those games.
Northwestern coaches Kate and Caryl Drohan have done well against the traditional Pac-12 power Bears in their careers. Since they took over in 2002, Northwestern has an 11-6 record against California.
Sophomore Morgan Newport made her first-career NCAA postseason start in the circle for the Wildcats, and she was tremendous in her debut inning. She retired the first two batters including one on a nasty check-swing strikeout before the Bears notched a two-out double. Not rattled in the least, Newport induced a weak grounder in front of the plate to end the inning.
Northwestern threw together the first rally of the game without the benefit of a hit in the top of the second. Sammy Nettling started the inning with a walk before Marissa Panko hit a sharp ground ball to third. The fielder tried to get the lead out at second, but the throw was wide and Nettling was safe on the error. One out later, Brooke Marquez walked to load the bases. Cal starter Kamalani Dung got a foul out, then won an extended battle on a full count to keep the Wildcats scoreless. Still, NU managed to elevate her pitch count to 56 through just two innings.
Newport stranded a pair of Bears in the bottom of the second on a swinging strikeout, then worked around another two-out double in the third. The Wildcats rallied again in the top of the fourth, starting with a Kenna Wilkey single. She gave way to runner Abbey Boyd, who moved to second when Newport drew a two-out walk. The free pass led Cal to replace Dung with Zoe Conley, who ended the inning to keep the 'Cats scoreless.
Nice catches in the outfield from Sabrina Rabin and Nelson helped Newport strand a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth, then Northwestern broke through for the game's first runs in the fifth. Rabin led off the top of the inning with a bunt single, then stole second base. Nelson followed with a mammoth triple into the right-centerfield gap, easily scoring Rabin and giving NU the first lead. Nettling followed with a perfect Sammy Squeeze, bringing Nelson in from third to make it a 2-0 ballgame.
Cal did not wait before responding. Back-to-back singles and some aggressive base running scored a run and left the Bears with the tying run at third and one out in the bottom of the fifth. Wilkey entered the circle in relief of Newport, but Cal hit a game-tying double on the first pitch. The first-year settled in, however, to leave that go-ahead run on base and send the game tied into the sixth, 2-2.
Both Conley and Wilkey had super-fast sixth innings, with Wilkey needing just six pitches to retire the side in order. In the top of the seventh, the Wildcats did not get anything going offensively. Then, in the bottom half, a leadoff baserunner moved to second when Northwestern tried unsuccessfully to get the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice bunt moved both Bears up a bag on the first out of the inning before NU issued an intentional walk to the No. 3 batter to load the bases. Wilkey first got a little one-hop flare to Rachel Lewis at second, and the throw came home in plenty of time for a force. Wilkey went to a full count on the next batter, who fouled the first payoff pitch before flying out to Marquez in right to send game into extras.
Nelson led off the eighth with a ball all the way to the wall in dead center. The fielder got her glove on it, but slammed into the wall and it popped out, giving the junior a leadoff double. Nettling sacrificed Nelson to third, before, with two outs and a full count, Wilkey fouled off several pitches. She finally found one she liked and pulverized it off the wall in center to put Northwestern back on top, 3-2.
Wilkey then stepped into the circle in the bottom of the eighth and retired the side in order to get the win in relief. Wilkey now is 19-6 on the year, giving her the most wins by an NU first year since Lauren Delaney's win total of 19 from the 2007 World Series season. Wilkey threw 3.2 innings of relief, allowing no runs and one hit with two walks and a K.
In her start, Newport tossed a strong 4.1 innings, giving up two runs while scattering six hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Nelson finished a home run shy of the cycle at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wilkey had two hits including the game-winning RBI single in the eighth.
Northwestern is 37-17 overall on the season with its win while California falls to 34-20.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Wildcats now advance to the winner's bracket game at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Saturday against No. 7 seed Georgia, which defeated Ivy League champion Harvard, 6-2, Friday evening. The game has been moved up 2.5 hours to avoid forecasted poor weather.
Says Morgan Nelson: "I pumped up the aggression" today.
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 19, 2018
Hear the rest of the #B1GCats #NCAASoftball postgame media session HERE! pic.twitter.com/qQG7HrhD8p
Northwestern has a history in its opening game: in 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wildcats are 13-5 in the opener. The contest was Northwestern ninth extra-inning affair in NCAA postseason play; the Wildcats are 6-3 all-time in those games.
Northwestern coaches Kate and Caryl Drohan have done well against the traditional Pac-12 power Bears in their careers. Since they took over in 2002, Northwestern has an 11-6 record against California.
Sophomore Morgan Newport made her first-career NCAA postseason start in the circle for the Wildcats, and she was tremendous in her debut inning. She retired the first two batters including one on a nasty check-swing strikeout before the Bears notched a two-out double. Not rattled in the least, Newport induced a weak grounder in front of the plate to end the inning.
Northwestern threw together the first rally of the game without the benefit of a hit in the top of the second. Sammy Nettling started the inning with a walk before Marissa Panko hit a sharp ground ball to third. The fielder tried to get the lead out at second, but the throw was wide and Nettling was safe on the error. One out later, Brooke Marquez walked to load the bases. Cal starter Kamalani Dung got a foul out, then won an extended battle on a full count to keep the Wildcats scoreless. Still, NU managed to elevate her pitch count to 56 through just two innings.
Newport stranded a pair of Bears in the bottom of the second on a swinging strikeout, then worked around another two-out double in the third. The Wildcats rallied again in the top of the fourth, starting with a Kenna Wilkey single. She gave way to runner Abbey Boyd, who moved to second when Newport drew a two-out walk. The free pass led Cal to replace Dung with Zoe Conley, who ended the inning to keep the 'Cats scoreless.
Nice catches in the outfield from Sabrina Rabin and Nelson helped Newport strand a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth, then Northwestern broke through for the game's first runs in the fifth. Rabin led off the top of the inning with a bunt single, then stole second base. Nelson followed with a mammoth triple into the right-centerfield gap, easily scoring Rabin and giving NU the first lead. Nettling followed with a perfect Sammy Squeeze, bringing Nelson in from third to make it a 2-0 ballgame.
Morgan Nelson all the way to the wall! Her RBI triple gives @NUSBcats the lead in Athens. #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/TAWHBPvrHW
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 18, 2018
Cal did not wait before responding. Back-to-back singles and some aggressive base running scored a run and left the Bears with the tying run at third and one out in the bottom of the fifth. Wilkey entered the circle in relief of Newport, but Cal hit a game-tying double on the first pitch. The first-year settled in, however, to leave that go-ahead run on base and send the game tied into the sixth, 2-2.
Both Conley and Wilkey had super-fast sixth innings, with Wilkey needing just six pitches to retire the side in order. In the top of the seventh, the Wildcats did not get anything going offensively. Then, in the bottom half, a leadoff baserunner moved to second when Northwestern tried unsuccessfully to get the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice bunt moved both Bears up a bag on the first out of the inning before NU issued an intentional walk to the No. 3 batter to load the bases. Wilkey first got a little one-hop flare to Rachel Lewis at second, and the throw came home in plenty of time for a force. Wilkey went to a full count on the next batter, who fouled the first payoff pitch before flying out to Marquez in right to send game into extras.
Don't forget to breathe!
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 18, 2018
We're headed to extras in Athens with @CalSB & @NUSBcats locked at 2-2. #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/PoG8eOmhyp
Nelson led off the eighth with a ball all the way to the wall in dead center. The fielder got her glove on it, but slammed into the wall and it popped out, giving the junior a leadoff double. Nettling sacrificed Nelson to third, before, with two outs and a full count, Wilkey fouled off several pitches. She finally found one she liked and pulverized it off the wall in center to put Northwestern back on top, 3-2.
Kenna Wilkey puts @NUSBcats on top in the 8th!#NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/qPTIv3HN8d
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 18, 2018
Wilkey then stepped into the circle in the bottom of the eighth and retired the side in order to get the win in relief. Wilkey now is 19-6 on the year, giving her the most wins by an NU first year since Lauren Delaney's win total of 19 from the 2007 World Series season. Wilkey threw 3.2 innings of relief, allowing no runs and one hit with two walks and a K.
Wildcats ?? winner's bracket@NUSBcats hang on for a 3-2 win over Cal. #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/Fut9tKHeSe
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 18, 2018
In her start, Newport tossed a strong 4.1 innings, giving up two runs while scattering six hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Nelson finished a home run shy of the cycle at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wilkey had two hits including the game-winning RBI single in the eighth.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilkey, Kenna (19-6)
L: Zoe Conley (16-13)
Batting:
2B: Nelson, Morgan 1
3B: Nelson, Morgan 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1
SH: Nettling, Sammy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 2
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 1
Batting:
2B: Mikayla Coelho 3
RBI: Mikayla Coelho 1
SH: Lindsay Rood 1 ; Jazmyn Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lindsay Rood 1 ; Jazmyn Jackson 1
SB: Lindsay Rood 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
dp/p
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballP
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