March 4, 2006
FULLERTON, Calif. -- No. 16 Northwestern held No. 6 Stanford in check for 6.2 innings Saturday night at the Worth Invitational, but a sixth-inning, two-out rally propelled the Cardinal past the Wildcats, 5-4, in eight-innings.
With the loss, Northwestern falls to 9-6 on the year, 1-2 at the Worth Invitational. Stanford improves to 16-4 on the year.
For the second-consecutive game, freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) got Northwestern started with a four-base bang, blasting a solo home run over the center-field fence to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.
Entering Saturday, Williams never had hit a collegiate homer. She led off the Wildcats' morning match-up against No. 3 Tennessee with a solo shot off All-American Monica Abbott before doing the same in the nightcap against the Cardinal.
Senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) joined the act in the second inning, leading off the frame with a solo homer to left field for a 2-0 Northwestern advantage.
Northwestern's scoring continued in the third. Sophomore Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) led off with a two-strike single into center, then advanced to second on a smash single from Williams.
Junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) drove in Sengewald with a one-out single into center, advancing Williams to third before she took second on the throw home. Stanford starter Missy Penna (10-2) then hit senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) with a pitch to load the bases.
One out later, senior Sheila McCorkle (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) hit a single to short, scoring Williams to push the Northwestern lead to four, 4-0, before the inning ended.
Stanford came roaring back in the top of the seventh, notching one run after a pair of singles and a double to cut the Northwestern lead to three, 4-1. A three-run Maddy Coon home run then tied the score, 4-4. After a hit batter, senior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) replaced Wildcat starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) in the circle and coaxed a pop up to short to end the inning.
Canney exited the game having thrown 6.2 shutout innings before the Stanford runs, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out 13.
In the bottom half of the frame, Amegin led off with a line-drive double to left field, then was replaced by junior Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) on the base paths. Stanford then intentionally walked Dotson to put runners on first and second with no outs. One out later, senior Ashley Crane (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake) hit an absolute laser beam into left field that was caught for the second out. Miller took off running after the line drive and was doubled off second for the third out of the inning.
With a runner on second to begin the eighth by order of the international tie-break rule, Stanford quickly loaded the bases with no outs on a fielder's choice and an error. Foster got a whiff for the first out, then the Cardinal hit an RBI groundout to second to take a 5-4 advantage. Foster then struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Crane began the Northwestern eighth on second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport). Sengewald hit a little flare to second that was caught for the second out of the inning. Williams drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and third with two outs.
Amegin, McCorkle and Williams all finished with a pair of hits for Northwestern. Williams scored a pair of runs.
Foster (6-4) was pegged with the loss for the Wildcats.
Northwestern returns to action at 11 a.m. CT Sunday, March 5, to conclude its Worth Invitational schedule against Texas Tech.