March 3, 2007
FULLERTON, Calif. -- No. 8 Northwestern scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and defeat No. 11 Oregon State, 4-0 (8), Saturday night at the Worth Invitational, giving head coach Kate Drohan the 200th win of her career.
The win improves the Wildcats to 4-0 in the Invitational, 14-5 on the season. Oregon State falls to 11-6 on the year, 3-1 in the tournament with the loss.
The victory was career win No. 200 for Drohan, who is in her sixth season as Northwestern's head coach alongside her twin sister and associate head coach Caryl. The pair now has a career record of 200-95-1 in their time at NU. Kate entered the season ranked 21st in NCAA Division I among active head coaches with a .673 winning percentage.
The win also was the 850th in Northwestern's program history.
A pitcher's duel quickly developed in the game between Northwestern freshman Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) and Oregon State senior All-American Brianne McGowan, sending it to extras with no runs on the board.
With senior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) on second to begin the top of the eighth because of the international tie-break rule, sophomore Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) singled through the left side of the infield on the first pitch she saw to move Logan to third.
After Williams stole second, Oregon State elected to intentionally walk senior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) to load the bases with no outs. The intentional pass was the fourth of the year for Cooper, who ranks sixth in NCAA Division I history with 24 in her career.
Freshman Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) then delivered the clutch hit the game had been missing, doubling on a line drive to the fence in right to score Logan and Williams and give NU a 2-0 lead. Cooper was replaced at third by pinch runner Julia Sears (Chicago, Ill./Marist).
Sophomore Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) then followed with a single back up the middle that plated Sears and Pauly to give Northwestern the 4-0 lead. Delaney made the result hold up with a bunt pop-out, a flyout to shallow right and a foul out behind the plate in the bottom of the eighth to earn the victory.
The win improved Delaney's record to a perfect 8-0 on the year, and gave the freshman her second shutout win of the season over Oregon State. She went all eight innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six.
Williams finished 2-for-4 for NU with a run scored and two steals, while both Pauly and Dyer had two RBIs.
The Wildcats earned the game's first runner in scoring position when senior Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) notched a full-count, two-out single in the second followed by a walk issued to sophomore Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Freshman Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) replaced Miller at second base, but would move no farther in the inning.
Oregon State put together threats in third and fourth innings, getting a runner to third with two outs in both frames. Delaney was able to end both rallies without damage, coaxing a groundout in the third and fanning a batter in the fourth.
Williams led off the top of the sixth with a single back up the middle for the 'Cats, then moved to second one out later on a sacrifice bunt by Pauly. McGowan (6-3) again was able to get out of trouble and Williams became the fifth stranded Wildcat of the game.
In the bottom of the frame, OSU's Cambria Miranda laced a two-out double to the fence in left, but Delaney induced a pop up to Williams on the outfield grass to end the inning with the score still tied, 0-0.
The Wildcats had their best chance to score during regulation in the seventh. Rigas hit a one-out single into right, then was replaced at first by freshman Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley). Freshman Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) then stepped in as a pinch hitter, working a full-count walk. Freshman Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), the batter Haug replaced at the plate, then re-entered at first to run.
A deep flyout to right field by Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) advanced both runners a base, but again no runs would come in.
Northwestern returns to action in its final Worth Invitational game at 1:15 p.m. CT against Oklahoma State. Live streaming audio of the game will be available on NUsports.com via the premium All-Access service. To listen, link to the audio/video page on NUsports.com.