March 5, 2006
FULLERTON, Calif. -- No. 16 Northwestern closed its Worth Invitational schedule Sunday morning in convincing fashion, blasting Texas Tech, 7-0, on the strength of 10 hits and a combined shutout from senior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) and junior Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise).
With the win, Northwestern improves to 10-6 on the year, 2-2 at the Worth. Texas Tech falls to 5-16 overall with the loss.
Foster allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings of work to move to 7-4 on the season. Canney threw the final two innings, surrendering just one hit.
For the fourth-consecutive game, freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) led off the contest with a base hit for Northwestern. Williams began all of the Wildcats' games in the Worth by hitting safely, recording a leadoff single, double and two home runs in her first cuts. She currently has a seven-game hitting streak.
Williams then stole second, and advanced to third on a deep fly out to right field by junior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol).
With two outs in the inning, senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) fisted a single into right to plate Williams and give the Wildcats the first lead of the game, 1-0.
The Wildcats put three more runs on the board in the top of the second inning. With two outs, sophomore Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) reached first on a throwing error by the Texas Tech shortstop. She advanced to second after Williams was awarded first on catcher's interference.
Both runners moved up on a double steal, then scored when Logan chopped a single down the right-field line to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) followed Logan with a double to the fence in center to score Logan all the way from first and push the NU advantage to four, 4-0.
The double was the 33rd of Cooper's career, tying her with Jenn Shull (1997-2000) for fifth on Northwestern's career list.
Texas Tech replaced starter Erin Crawford in the circle after Cooper's hit, inserting Sarah Losleben in relief.
Northwestern's fourth began with a bunt single from Williams that dropped straight down and spun and spun and spun until it finally stopped dead in fair territory. The Raiders then hit Cooper with a pitch and walked Amegin to load the bases.
With two outs, McCorkle singled through the left side of the infield to score Williams and Cooper and give the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.
In the fifth, junior Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) drew a one out walk, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Williams singled into right for her third hit of the game, scoring Miller from second for a seven-run lead, 7-0.
Williams finished the game a career-best 3-for-3 with three runs scored, an RBI and two steals. Logan went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored, while Dotson also was 2-for-4. McCorkle drove in a pair of runs for the 'Cats.
Northwestern now is off for reading week and final exams, and will return to action March 17-19 at the Hawaii Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii.