Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, May 19
Athens, Ga.
6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET
Northwestern
38-18
4
vs
3
California
35-21
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
NCAA Magic Continues: #B1GCats Come Back, Walk-Off On Bears, 4-3
5/19/2018 9:12:00 PM | Softball
ATHENS, Ga. – Adversity? Throw it the #B1GCats way. In what has become a theme for the season, Northwestern fought through it Saturday night in an NCAA Athens Regional elimination game with yet another seventh-inning comeback to defeat Cal, 4-3, and advance to the championship round on Sunday.
Northwestern is 38-18 overall on the season. Cal concludes their year with a 35-21 record.
NU now has five wins this year when trailing after six innings. Saturday night's comeback joins a pair of victories over Minnesota and two at Rutgers during the Big Ten season.
The comeback was necessary after Cal took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the sixth before adding a run in the seventh. Rachel Lewis tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh before scoring later on a wild pitch to end the game.
Northwestern now advances to the Regional championship round for a rematch against No. 7 Georgia at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Sunday, May 20. It is NU's seventh berth in the Regional title game since the current format was instituted in 2005. The Wildcats must defeat the Bulldogs twice in this double elimination format to advance to the Super Regional.
Northwestern coaches Kate and Caryl Drohan continue their success against the traditional Pac-12 power Bears in their careers. Since they took over in 2002, Northwestern has a 12-6 record against California after these two wins in the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern put the game's first run on the board in the bottom of the second. Kenna Wilkey led off the inning with a solid single back through the middle, then gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. With the third baseman playing close enough to whisper sweet nothings, Brooke Marquez STILL put down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt to move Boyd to second before a Morgan Newport groundout to second sent Boyd to third. With Lily Novak at the plate, a passed ball off the Cal catcher's knee bounced to the backstop to allow Boyd to bound home for a 1-0 NU lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Cal collected its first base hit of the game on a two-out infield single to second. On the very next pitch, Newport got potent No. 3 batter Mikayla Coelho -- who doubled three times against NU Friday -- to pop out weakly to Rachel Lewis at second to end the inning.
Speaking of Lewis, she was absolutely robbed of extra bases in the bottom of the third by a terrific diving catch at second on a laser beam that was yodeling its way toward the gap in right center. That play was part of a 1-2-3 inning for the Bears and their starter Zoe Conley.
In the top of the fourth, Cal got runners to second and third with one out against Newport, and Wilkey entered in relief. On the very first pitch, she induced a fly ball to shallow left that Morgan Nelson ranged in to catch. The runner at third faked toward the plate, but Nelson fumbled and dropped the exchange from her glove to her hand. That led to the runner taking off for real, but Nelson recovered and fired a strike to a waiting Sammy Nettling behind the plate to end the inning with a one-pitch double play.
Cal delivered a leadoff double in the fifth, and again Wilkey was up to the task. She retired the next three batters in order, ending the frame with a K to leave that leadoff Bear at second base.
The Bears were able to finally break through in the top of the sixth, getting their first two runners aboard on a full count walk and a fielder's choice ball where the throw to second was just a hair late. Those runners eventually got to second and third with one out, then an RBI groundout tied the game before a two-out single back through the middle put Cal on top, 2-1.
Northwestern made a push in the bottom half with a one-out Nettling single before Panko reached on an error to give NU two base runners. Pinch runner Eva Stees entered to run for Nettling, and she and Panko both moved up a bag when the second baseman made a nice snag on a Wilkey ground ball. Marquez then lifted a shallow fly into right, but the second baseman made an over-the-shoulder basket catch of the ball while racing out to end the inning.
A triple in the top of the seventh led to a third Cal run when the ball was misplayed for an error, giving the Bears a two-run cushion going into the bottom of the seventh, 3-1.
In that bottom half, Novak started a one-out rally with a single past the second baseman. Sabrina Rabin then put a ball in play that the shortstop fumbled for an error, sending Novak to second and leaving Rabin as the tying run at first base (she's really fast. That's important to remember for later).
NFCA top-10 National Freshman of the Year finalist Lewis then stepped to the plate and proved why she's one of the best in the game. With the season on the line, she pummeled a pitch to the wall in deep left center to drive in both Novak and Rabin all the way from first (see! That was important!) to tie the game, 3-3.
The inning continued with an intentional walk to Nelson before a Nettling ball moved both up a bag. Cal then elected to intentionally walk Panko to load the bases and leave a force at every bag, but it did not matter: with Wilkey at the plate, the Cal pitcher sailed one over the catcher's head and Lewis raced home to end the game.
Wilkey (20-6) got the win to become Northwestern's first 20-game winner since Lauren Delaney won 29 games in 2009. She surpassed the first-year win total of 19 achieved by three stellar past Wildcats: Delaney (2007), two-time All-American Eileen Canney (2004) and All-American Courtnay Foster (2003) with her 20th victory, as well. The freshman record at NU is 33 by Lisa Ishikawa in 1984.
Wilkey was charged with three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Newport fought and fought in her start, going 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Northwestern is 38-18 overall on the season. Cal concludes their year with a 35-21 record.
NU now has five wins this year when trailing after six innings. Saturday night's comeback joins a pair of victories over Minnesota and two at Rutgers during the Big Ten season.
The comeback was necessary after Cal took a 2-1 lead with two runs in the sixth before adding a run in the seventh. Rachel Lewis tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh before scoring later on a wild pitch to end the game.
"Goosebumps."
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 20, 2018
TIE BALLGAME between Cal and Northwestern in the 7th! pic.twitter.com/aSa8KLwqD8
Northwestern now advances to the Regional championship round for a rematch against No. 7 Georgia at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET Sunday, May 20. It is NU's seventh berth in the Regional title game since the current format was instituted in 2005. The Wildcats must defeat the Bulldogs twice in this double elimination format to advance to the Super Regional.
Northwestern coaches Kate and Caryl Drohan continue their success against the traditional Pac-12 power Bears in their careers. Since they took over in 2002, Northwestern has a 12-6 record against California after these two wins in the NCAA Tournament.
"I'm so proud of this group. Whatever was thrown at our team today, our team handled with grace, we fought hard, and we battled for Northwestern."
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 20, 2018
The complete #B1GCats postgame press conference is here: pic.twitter.com/y0dn2E33vN
Northwestern put the game's first run on the board in the bottom of the second. Kenna Wilkey led off the inning with a solid single back through the middle, then gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. With the third baseman playing close enough to whisper sweet nothings, Brooke Marquez STILL put down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt to move Boyd to second before a Morgan Newport groundout to second sent Boyd to third. With Lily Novak at the plate, a passed ball off the Cal catcher's knee bounced to the backstop to allow Boyd to bound home for a 1-0 NU lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Cal collected its first base hit of the game on a two-out infield single to second. On the very next pitch, Newport got potent No. 3 batter Mikayla Coelho -- who doubled three times against NU Friday -- to pop out weakly to Rachel Lewis at second to end the inning.
Speaking of Lewis, she was absolutely robbed of extra bases in the bottom of the third by a terrific diving catch at second on a laser beam that was yodeling its way toward the gap in right center. That play was part of a 1-2-3 inning for the Bears and their starter Zoe Conley.
In the top of the fourth, Cal got runners to second and third with one out against Newport, and Wilkey entered in relief. On the very first pitch, she induced a fly ball to shallow left that Morgan Nelson ranged in to catch. The runner at third faked toward the plate, but Nelson fumbled and dropped the exchange from her glove to her hand. That led to the runner taking off for real, but Nelson recovered and fired a strike to a waiting Sammy Nettling behind the plate to end the inning with a one-pitch double play.
Cal delivered a leadoff double in the fifth, and again Wilkey was up to the task. She retired the next three batters in order, ending the frame with a K to leave that leadoff Bear at second base.
The Bears were able to finally break through in the top of the sixth, getting their first two runners aboard on a full count walk and a fielder's choice ball where the throw to second was just a hair late. Those runners eventually got to second and third with one out, then an RBI groundout tied the game before a two-out single back through the middle put Cal on top, 2-1.
Northwestern made a push in the bottom half with a one-out Nettling single before Panko reached on an error to give NU two base runners. Pinch runner Eva Stees entered to run for Nettling, and she and Panko both moved up a bag when the second baseman made a nice snag on a Wilkey ground ball. Marquez then lifted a shallow fly into right, but the second baseman made an over-the-shoulder basket catch of the ball while racing out to end the inning.
A triple in the top of the seventh led to a third Cal run when the ball was misplayed for an error, giving the Bears a two-run cushion going into the bottom of the seventh, 3-1.
In that bottom half, Novak started a one-out rally with a single past the second baseman. Sabrina Rabin then put a ball in play that the shortstop fumbled for an error, sending Novak to second and leaving Rabin as the tying run at first base (she's really fast. That's important to remember for later).
NFCA top-10 National Freshman of the Year finalist Lewis then stepped to the plate and proved why she's one of the best in the game. With the season on the line, she pummeled a pitch to the wall in deep left center to drive in both Novak and Rabin all the way from first (see! That was important!) to tie the game, 3-3.
The inning continued with an intentional walk to Nelson before a Nettling ball moved both up a bag. Cal then elected to intentionally walk Panko to load the bases and leave a force at every bag, but it did not matter: with Wilkey at the plate, the Cal pitcher sailed one over the catcher's head and Lewis raced home to end the game.
Wilkey (20-6) got the win to become Northwestern's first 20-game winner since Lauren Delaney won 29 games in 2009. She surpassed the first-year win total of 19 achieved by three stellar past Wildcats: Delaney (2007), two-time All-American Eileen Canney (2004) and All-American Courtnay Foster (2003) with her 20th victory, as well. The freshman record at NU is 33 by Lisa Ishikawa in 1984.
Wilkey was charged with three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Newport fought and fought in her start, going 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and a walk with one strikeout.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilkey, Kenna (20-6)
L: Zoe Conley (16-14)
Batting:
2B: Taurie Pogue 1
3B: Lindsay Rood 1
RBI: Lauren Espalin 1 ; Karlee Sparacino 1
SH: Kobie Pettis 1 ; Bradie Fillmore 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Lindsay Rood 1 ; Mikayla Coelho 1 ; Kobie Pettis 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Rachel 1
RBI: Lewis, Rachel 2
SH: Marquez, Brooke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Boyd, Abbey 1 ; Novak, Lily 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
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