May 5, 2004
CHICAGO -- Courtnay Foster pitched her best game of the season and Garland Cooper hit her second clutch home run in Northwestern's last three games in a 6-0, 11-inning Wildcat victory in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at DePaul.
Foster allowed only three hits and struck out eight in 10 innings of work to up her record to 14-13 on the year. Eileen Canney pitched the bottom of the 11th, striking out the side to close the game for Northwestern.
The game was the longest of the season for Northwestern, and the most shutout innings thrown by Foster since she struck out 20 in an 18-inning, complete-game, 1-0 win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament last season.
After 10 scoreless innings by both teams, Sheila McCorkle walked and Erin Mobley was hit by a pitch to start the 11th. Cooper then roped her ninth home run of the season to right-center field to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
The home run gives Cooper the NU single-season home run crown - for the moment. Teammate Kristen Amegin broke the record April 18th with her eighth homer of the season. Cooper's three RBIs give her 39 on the year, tying her for the Northwestern single-season record.
Cooper currently leads the Wildcats in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.727) and on-base percentage (.512). Her slugging and on-base numbers are also on pace to shatter current NU single-season marks.
"I get so excited every time Garland comes up to the plate," NU head coach Kate Drohan said. "She has done some amazing things for us this season."
The 'Cats continued to pour on the offense in the frame with run-scoring singles from Katie Logan and Carri Leto. Logan finished the game 3-for-5, joining Cooper with a trio of hits in the contest. J.C. Kira scored the final run of the game on a fielder's choice from McCorkle.
Both teams had great scoring opportunities negated by strong defensive play in the ninth.
In the top of the inning Elizabeth Piatt replaced Cooper, who singled to lead off the inning, on the base paths. After Amegin sacrificed Piatt to second, Eryn Manahan hit a fly ball to the deepest part of the park, but center fielder Linda Secka caught up with it at the wall to keep the 'Cats scoreless.
Leading off the bottom of the inning, Foster walked Saskia Roberson, ending a streak of 15 consecutive batters retired by the sophomore. Foster then set down the next three batters she faced with a little defensive help. Center fielder McCorkle snagged a Sarah Douglas drive with a dive in the left field gap, then catcher Kira gunned down Roberson trying to steal the end the inning.
Northwestern's record improves to 30-15 on the year with the win. This is the second consecutive season that NU has reached the 30-win plateau. DePaul falls to 22-27-1 with the loss. Katie Sheaks (1-6) was saddled with the loss for the Blue Demons.