Feb. 12, 2005
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) struck out 18 batters to tie her career-high in a seven inning game, allowing just a single hit as Northwestern defeated Boston College, 2-0, Saturday at the Florida Atlantic Worth Invitational.
Foster (3-1) struck out the side in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. She recorded four K's in the fifth when Michelle Daly whiffed but reached first on a passed ball. She surrendered only a double in the fourth.
Foster previously tossed an 18-strikeout one-hitter on April 23, 2003, at Loyola (Ill.). She has fanned 31 batters in her last 13 innings of work.
The junior now has 560 strikeouts for her career, moving her past Lauren Schwendimann and into third place all-time at Northwestern.
Northwestern (5-3) got on the board in the third inning with a solo home run by freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro), her second of the season.
The Wildcats added another run in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) extended her season-opening hitting streak to eight games with a single, then was replace on the basepaths by junior Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake).
Junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) singled to advance Crane to second, then was lifted for pinch-runner Lauren Olson (Lafayette, Calif./Acalanes). Junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) followed with a double to right center driving in Crane to stake NU to a 2-0 lead.
Senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and sophomore Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) also recorded doubles for the Wildcats. Miller now has swatted a double for each of her first five career base hits.
Britney Thompson (0-2) pitched all seven innings for Boston College (0-3) and took the loss.
The Wildcats return to action at 6 p.m. CT Saturday against the host FAU Lady Owls.