April 20, 2005
Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. -- On a windy day in the Windy City, No. 15 Northwestern had trouble battling strong gusts and UIC in its first true cold weather game of the year, falling to the Flames, 4-3, Wednesday night at Flames Field.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 32-10 on the year and snap their 14-game winning streak dating back to April 1. UIC improves its record to 32-21.
The temperature plummeted fast from Tuesday's balmy weather, and by the time this game was finished, jersey numbers became a moot point as most of the student-athletes donned sweatshirts and jackets over their uniforms.
The conditions wreaked havoc on the fielders in the game, causing both teams to commit four errors each. The Wildcats entered the contest ranked among the best in the country in fielding. Of the seven runs scored in the game, just two of NU's runs were earned.
Northwestern scored first in the first. Freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) led off with a double into left-center field, then advanced to third on a sacrifice by junior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei). Sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) hit a fly ball into the wind, which pushed it to the ground in center for a run-scoring single and a 1-0 NU lead.
Northwestern's normally sure defense had some problems in the bottom of the third, allowing UIC to push three runs across the plate. A leadoff walk followed by a one-out single from Cameron Astiazaran put two runners on. Two Wildcat errors then allowed one run to score before a single by Nikki Shepard gave the Flames a 3-1 lead before NU could end the inning.
NU responded with a single run in the fourth to close the gap to 3-2. Freshman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) led off the top of the fourth with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice from sophomore Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol). Churchwell lined a single to left for her third hit of the game to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Cooper hit a hot shot to second that Nicole Robinson was unable to handle, allowing Sengewald to score on the error, but the Wildcat rally ended there.
In the bottom of the fourth, another NU error and a walk allowed two Flames to reach base. With one out and the strong hitting Astiazaran coming to the plate, junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) relieved Wildcat starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) in the circle.
Foster fanned Astiazaran and the final UIC batter to end the threat. Canney finished the game with three and one-third innings pitched, giving up three unearned runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Leading off the top of the fifth inning, junior Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) tied the game with the longest home run hit, ever. With the wind blowing in from left at something just short of gale force, Amegin launched a ball deep into the night beyond the center-field fence -- and the light poles shaking in the wind -- to tie the game, 3-3.
The home run was the 11th of the season for Amegin, tying her for Northwestern's single-season record, set last season by Cooper. The blast was the 22nd of her career, and the first after she took ownership of NU's career record Tuesday against Bradley.
UIC came right back in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff walk and a fielder's choice left a runner on first with one out. After a passed ball and a wild pitch, the runner trotted home from third after another NU fielding miscue, making the score 4-3 in favor of the Flames.
Cooper hit a one-out double down the line in left and reached third in the top of the sixth for Northwestern, but ended the inning stranded. NU left 12 runners on in the contest.
Cooper and Churchwell both finished with three hits for the Wildcats while Amegin had a pair. Cooper drove in two runs in the game.
Mercedes Lovato threw a complete game for UIC, upping her record to 15-9 for the year.
Foster (15-5) ended up with the loss for NU after giving up just one unearned run on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of work.
Northwestern returns to action at 3 p.m. Friday against Ohio State at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.