Feb. 10, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. -- In a rematch of the championship series of the 2006 Women's College World Series, No. 1 Arizona and No. 4 Northwestern played a classic contest Saturday afternoon at the Kajikawa Classic, with Arizona using a three-run sixth-inning rally to notch a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory.
The loss drops Northwestern to 2-2 overall on the season, while Arizona improves to 3-1 with the win.
Arizona got on the board right away thanks to a crazy top of the first inning. After Caitlin Lowe and K'Lee Arredondo reached on infield singles, sophomore Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) appeared to complete a 6-3 double play, but the runner at first was ruled safe.
An NU error then allowed Lowe to score from third, and put runners on second and third with one out. The next Arizona batter grounded deep into the hole at short, where Williams gloved the ball and dove headlong in the bag at third to get the force on Arizona's lead runner for the second out of the inning. Senior starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) then coaxed a pop up to end the inning with NU trailing by one, 1-0.
Northwestern put its first runner in scoring position in the second inning when senior Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) crushed a one-out double off the wall in left. No runs would come of the opportunity, however.
In the top of the third, Arizona put runners on first and second with two outs after an NU error, but the next 'Zona batter up hit a hot-shot grounder to third that junior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) dove for and gloved, then tapped the bag from the ground for the third out of the inning.
With one out in the third, Williams annihilated a ball off the very top of the wall in right-center, hitting it so hard that the sophomore speedster only could get to first for a single. She then advanced to third when the throw on a grounder from Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) was mishandled at first for an error. Sophomore Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) followed with a fly ball to shallow right that was caught, and Williams charged home, sliding head-first to the plate to dislodge the ball from catcher Callista Balko and tie the score, 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Northwestern loaded the bags with one out after a single from Miller, a fielder's choice by Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) in which Miller was safe at second and a single from freshman pinch-hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias).
After a Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) fielder's choice ball to the pitcher erased Miller at the plate, Williams hit a grounder into the hole at short that was misplayed for an error, allowing Kelly Dyer to score for a 2-1 NU lead. With the bases still loaded, Cooper lined a deep ball down the left field line that Arredondo tracked down with a diving catch to end the inning.
Haug's base hit during the rally was her first-career hit in her first-career at-bat.
Arizona made another bid at a run in the top of the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Canney caught Sam Banister looking for Canney's third K of the game and the third out of the frame.
Arizona was able to come back in the sixth. After the opponent Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs on two walks and an error, Canney got a fielder's choice grounder for the first out at home plate. Arizona's Kristie Fox then lined a single down the left-field field line to drive in a pair of runs and give UA the lead back, 3-2.
With runners now on first and second, a double-play ball came to Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) at second. She flipped for the out at second, but the throw to first sailed wide and the lead runner came around to score to give Arizona a 4-2 lead after the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the inning, Logan hit a two-out single, then advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch from Arizona starter Sarah Akamine. Williams then singled into right field to plate Logan and cut the NU deficit in half, 4-3. Cooper followed with a sharp grounder toward the hole at short, but Jenae Leles dove to her left to glove it, got to her feet and threw Cooper out to end the inning.
Still down by one in the bottom of the seventh, Pauly hit a one-out single into right. Arizona head coach Mike Candrea then replaced Akamine in the circle with Taryne Mowatt, who promptly got two whiffs to end the game.
Canney (0-2) was saddled with the loss after pitching seven innings, allowing four runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Akamine picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the year with 6.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs -- one earned -- on nine hits and one walk with six Ks. Mowatt picked up her first save of the year.
Miller was 2-for-4 for the 'Cats with a double, while Pauly, Logan and Williams also had two hits for NU.
Northwestern concludes its Kajikawa Classic schedule at 10 a.m. CT Sunday, Feb. 11, against Cal State Fullerton. This time is a change from the originally publicized noon CT start.