Feb. 19, 2006
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- A seven-run fourth inning featuring a Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) grand slam and freshman Erin Dyer's (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) first career hit -- a home run -- launched No. 12 Northwestern past Central Michigan, 11-3, in six innings Sunday morning in the finale of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.
The Wildcats hit three home runs in the game, their biggest single-game output since blasting three against Northern Illinois on May 4, 2005.
Northwestern improves to 7-3 on the year with the win.
Central Michigan opened the scoring in the top of the third when two Wildcat errors and a double gave the Chippewas a 2-0 advantage.
Northwestern answered right back in the bottom of the third. Junior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) led off with a single to second, then advanced to second on a single up the middle by junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic). Senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) continued her torrid slugging at the Desert Classic, lacing a home run over the right field fence for a 3-2 Wildcat lead.
The home run was Amegin's fourth of the year and her third of the Classic. She also went yard Friday against Cal State Fullerton and Saturday against No. 8 California.
Sophomore Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) led off the bottom of the fourth with a double into the left-center field gap, knocking Central Michigan starter Jill DeRoche out of the game. She was replaced by Ali Pettit, who immediately granted back-to-back walks to freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) and Logan to load the bases with no outs.
Cooper stepped the plate and drove a double into the right-center field gap to plate Sengewald and Williams and give the 'Cats a 5-2 lead. With first base open, the Chippewas issued an intentional walk to Amegin to load them right back up again. Freshman Ann Schraufnagel (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) replaced Amegin at first as a pinch runner.
Dotson then stepped in and jacked out the third pitch she saw for a grand slam and a 9-2 Northwestern lead, still with no outs in the fourth. Amy Candioto replaced Pettit in the circle following the homer.
Dotson now has 88 career RBIs, tying her with Carri Leto (2000-04) for sixth on Northwestern's career list.
The home run party continued one batter later when Dyer made her first collegiate base hit a big one, sending a solo shot over the left-field fence to cap NU's scoring in the inning and put the Wildcats in run-rule territory, 10-2.
Northwestern put up seven runs on four hits in the inning, scoring runs on Cooper's double, Dotson's grand slam and Dyer's solo shot. The total was the Wildcats' biggest single-inning output since scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth at Purdue on April 17, 2005.
Central Michigan fought back in the top of the fifth to stave off the mercy rule, getting a two out single to score a run and cut the NU advantage to seven, 10-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Dyer went extra-bases with her second career hit, too, lining a one-out double down the left-field line. Senior Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake) then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. One out later, Williams drew her second walk of the game to load the bases with two outs.
Logan then singled up the middle to score Dyer and end the game with the mercy rule, 11-3.
Logan, Cooper and Dyer all finished with two hits and two runs scored in the game. Cooper drove in two runs, Amegin knocked in three and Dotson accounted for four RBIs.
Senior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) pitched all six innings to earn the win and up her record to 5-2 on the year. She allowed three runs -- one earned -- on four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.
Northwestern returns to action next weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.