April 1, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) faced 15 Illinois batters Friday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, and she set all 15 down to record her first career perfect game in a 10-0, five-inning victory over the Illini in the schools' Big Ten opener.
Canney forced seven ground ball outs, four flyouts and she fanned four batters to complete the Wildcats' first perfect game since April 23, 2000, when Lauren Schwendimann tossed five innings of perfection in a 12-0 win over Michigan.
The game was the fourth perfect game and the 33rd no-hitter in school history. Cathy Tawse in 1983 and Lisa Ishikawa in 1984 are the only other NU pitchers to have achieved perfection.
Prior to her no-hitter, Canney had fired four career one-hitters -- all during her freshman campaign last season. Canney's record this year now stands at 11-4.
Canney was helped by some solid defensive play behind her. Freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) had three assists in her first-career start at third base, with one coming on a dive to cut off a slow roller toward the hole and another coming when she kept a hard-hit grounder in front of her to make the play.
Freshman Kelly Odell (Portland, Ore./Westview) made her first-career start in the game, playing second and recording two putouts and an assist. Sophomore Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) tracked down a pair of long fly balls in the outfield, including a line-drive shot in the fifth inning.
The 20th-ranked Wildcats (19-9, 1-0 Big Ten) had some success on offense, too.
Junior designated player Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) got a six-run second-inning started when she reached on an error to lead off the frame. Junior Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake) pinch-ran for Amegin. After junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, Odell recorded her first career RBI by driving in Crane with a groundout.
McCorkle scored when Sengewald forced a throwing error with a fielder's choice ball. Logan drew a walk, then freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) singled up the middle to drive in Sengewald and make the score 3-0.
Logan scored after sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) forced an error by the first baseman, then Churchwell scored after a single from junior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). NU's final run of the inning came when Amegin strode to the plate for the second time in the frame, singling to score Cooper.
NU added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Churchwell led off with double and senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) followed with a single. Cooper drew a walk before Dotson hit another RBI single to make the score 7-0 in favor of the Wildcats.
Amegin then hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Mobley. Cooper would scamper home after a throwing error on the play to give NU a 9-0 advantage. Sophomore Lauren Olson (Lafayette, Calif./Alcalanes) then pinch-ran for Dotson on third and sophomore Elizabeth Piatt (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) replaced Amegin at second. Olson would score the 10th and final run of the game with some nifty baserunning during a rundown between third and home after an Odell fielder's choice ball.
Illinois (15-12, 0-1 Big Ten) committed four errors in the game. Mary Miller took the loss for the Illini, dropping her record to 10-6.
Odell, Amegin and Dotson all finished with two RBIs for NU, while Churchwell and Cooper both scored two runs. Dotson and Churchwell both finished with a pair of hits.
The game was NU's second in a row against the Illini this season. The Wildcats dropped a 5-3 decision to Illinois on the final day of the Stanford Tournament on March 26.
The two teams will face off yet again at Noon tomorrow, Saturday, April 2, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.