Feb. 18, 2006
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Junior Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) threw a one-hit shutout gem and No. 12 Northwestern got to No. 8 California's All-America pitcher Kristina Thorson early and often in a 3-0 Wildcat win over the Bears Saturday night at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.
With the win, Northwestern now has defeated California in four of the last six meetings between the schools. The Wildcats now are 6-3 on the season, while the Bears fall to 5-2 on the year.
Canney allowed just four runners to reach base on a pair of fielding errors, a walk and an infield single. She struck out 14 batters, breaking her career high of 12 set against Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 11, 2005.
Northwestern jumped out in front early for the first time in the Classic, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) led off with a walk, then advanced to third one out later when junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) lined a double off the fence in left field.
Senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) hit a towering fly ball to the warning track in right field, scoring Williams on a sacrifice fly and advancing Cooper to third. Senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) then singled up the middle to score Cooper and stake the Wildcats to a 2-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the third inning, Amegin added another run to the 'Cats' total with a solo drive over the left-center field wall for her third home run of the season, her second RBI of the game and the 100th run batted in of her career. Amegin, the school's career home run leader with 28, trails Erin Jancic (1999-2002) by eight for the Northwestern career lead in RBIs.
Meanwhile, Canney was cruising in the circle. The junior had a no-hitter with eight strikeouts through four and two-thirds innings until Cal's Gina Leomiti beat out an infield single to short. Canney made short work of that threat with her ninth `K' of the game to end the inning.
Canney ended the game by whiffing five of the last seven batters she faced, including the side in the seventh.
With the addition of two-time NFCA All-American Thorson to Northwestern's pitchers faced in 2006 list, the Wildcats now have taken cuts against a combined 10 NFCA All-America honors in five of their first nine games. NU also has had the privilege of facing Arizona's Alicia Hollowell (three-timer), Texas' Cat Osterman (three-timer) and Oregon State's Brianne McGowan (one-timer) twice over the first two weekends of the year.
Northwestern returns to action at 11 a.m. CT Sunday, Feb. 19, against Central Michigan in the Wildcats' finale at the Desert Classic. Gametracker will NOT be available for the game.