March 1, 2003
Cal State Fullerton Box Score
Washington Box Score
FULLERTON, Calif. - The only difference between the pitching performances of Cal State Fullerton's Jodie Cox and Northwestern's Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) Saturday night was the Titans got Cox the one run the team needed when it counted. Seventh-ranked CSUF scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning to knock off the Wildcats 1-0. NU also dropped a 9-0 five-inning decision to No. 4 Washington earlier in the day.
The two losses on the day drop the Wildcats' record to 2-2 at the Worth Invitational and 7-5 overall.
Cox and Foster locked up in a pitchers dual, as Cox allowed two hits while striking out 13. Meanwhile, Foster gave up just three hits and struck out six.
The teams battled scoreless through regulation, before the Wildcats missed out on a golden opportunity in the top of the eighth. With pinch-runner Jenny Glonke (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) stationed at second to begin the inning, Cox fielded Robyn Pettinger's (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) ensuing bunt and made an errant throw to third base. Glonke was safe at third and Pettinger advanced to second on the play.
Despite having two runners in scoring position with nobody out, Northwestern was unable to push a run across as Cox retired the next three batters in order.
In the bottom half of the inning, Cox lead off the inning by advancing Gina Oaks to third on a sacrifice bunt. NU elected to intentionally walk Jenny Topping, but Foster's first pitch sailed high and wide of catcher J.C. Kira (Honolulu, Hawaii/Saint Francis), allowing Oaks to score from third on the wild pitch.
Carri Leto (El Cajon, Calif./Valhalla) and Cindy Muran (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park each collected a basehit for Northwestern.
In the opening game of the day, the Wildcats equaled Washington in the hit column - five-to-five - but NU hurt itself with five costly errors. Only three of the Huskies' nine runs were earned.
Washington got on the board first with a pair of timely two-out hits. Aimee Minor gave UW a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the first inning, and Kristen Rivera lined a two-run double to left in the third to put the Huskies up 4-0.
Northwestern had runners on second and third with two outs in both the first and third innings, but both times Washington pitcher Tia Bollinger got Kristen Amegin (W. Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) out to end the Wildcats' threat.
Washington put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth by scoring five runs off Brie Brown (Nashville, Tenn./Harpeth Hall), who entered in relief of Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif./Foothill).
Northwestern wraps up play at the Worth Invitational at noon Pacific time Sunday when it takes on Portland State.