May 3, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Northwestern softball team dropped a doubleheader to nationally-ranked DePaul Thursday afternoon, on different fields.
The Wildcats fell in Game 1 to the 13th-ranked Blue Demons, 2-0, on Anderson Field. The second game was also won by DePaul, 8-4. However, that contest was played on Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Between games, Northwestern University honored the retiring Drysdale as she coached the Wildcats at home for the final time after 23 years at the Wildcat softball helm. Drysdale was showered with numerous gifts, and the presentation was capped off when senior associate athletic director Ken Kraft announced the re-naming of Anderson Field to Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
On the diamond, though, the day beloged to DePaul. The Wildcats and Blue Demons each garnered three hits in game one. Northwestern loaded the bases in the third inning but couldn't pull through for any runs. DePaul then scored its two runs, both unearned, in the top of the fourth on back-to-back hits. Freshman Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla), junior Gretchen Barnes (Flossmoor, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) and sophomore Jessie Wellnitz (Waterloo, Iowa/East) tallied one hit each. Pitcher Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) threw six innings, striking out six with three hits and no earned runs.
The Blue Demons took advantage of two Wildcat errors in the top of the first inning in the second game. They scored four runs on two hits, then added one run each in the third and fourth innings to take a 6-0 lead. NU battled heartily, scoring three runs in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Barnes reached first on an error by the DePaul shortstop, scoring junior Rane Gunderson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka). Sophomore Alyson Schulz (San Diego, Calif./Serra) then doubled to right field, scoring freshmen J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis) and Leto to make the score 6-3.
But DePaul's bats continued to burn, as the Demons scored two more runs in the sixth inning. With the score 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh, NU attempted a comeback. Wellnitz singled to left field and advanced to second when Barnes grounded out. Schulz then singled and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder, while Wellnitz scored. That is all the `Cats could muster, though, as they recorded eight hits and six errors in the game to DePaul's 11 hits and two errors.
Leto went 2-for-4 with one run and Schulz went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Sophomore Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harputh Hall) pitched three and one-third innings, allowing five hits. Barnes pitched the last three and two-third innings, allowing six hits and two runs.
Northwestern is now 19-24 overall and travels to Iowa on Saturday for a 6 p.m. game. The Wildcats and Hawkeyes will also play in Iowa City on Sunday at 1 p.m.