March 31, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Jessica Miller (Elberfeld, Ind./Techumseh) hit the longest home run in the history of Sharon J. Drysdale Field Saturday afternoon against No. 10 Michigan, launching the eighth-ranked Wildcats past the Wolverines, 4-3.
The win gives Northwestern a split of its Big Ten series against Michigan, and improves the Wildcats to 25-7 overall, 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines fall to 26-6 with the loss, 1-1 in the conference.
The Wildcats previously defeated the Wolverines in a nonconference game, 2-1 (9), on March 24 at the Women 4 Women Invitational in Louisville, Ky.
Michigan scored the first runs of the game with back-to-back, two-out solo home runs to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The blasts knocked Northwestern starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) out of the game in favor of senior Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise).
In the top of the second, freshman Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) hit a soaring double into left-center field that grazed the top of the fence and stayed in the park to extend her current hitting streak to 10 games. No runs would come of the situation for NU, however.
The Wildcats did score the very next inning. With one out, junior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) reached on a fielding error by Michigan starting pitcher Lorilyn Wilson, then Sengewald moved to second on a bunt single from senior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol).
Sophomore Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) followed with a hard-hit single back up the middle to score Sengewald from second and cut the Michigan lead to one, 2-1. With second base open, the Wolverines then intentionally walked senior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) to load the bases.
The intentional pass was Cooper's sixth of the season and the 26th of her career, leaving her one shy of fifth place in NCAA Division I history for most intentional walks. After the base on balls, the Wolverines replaced Wilson in the circle with Nikki Nemitz.
After another out, Pauly drilled a line drive into deep left-center, but centerfielder Alessandra Giampaolo tracked it down on the run, reaching out to make the grab at the warning track to end the inning.
Michigan put together a threat in the bottom half of the third, getting runners on second and third with two outs after an infield single, a fielder's choice and an intentional walk. Canney then struck out the next batter to end the inning with no UM runs across.
Northwestern tied the game with one run in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) led off with a big double into right-center field, then was replaced on the base paths by freshman Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley). After Lafever moved to third on a passed ball, Miller was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners.
Freshman Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) pinch ran for Miller, then stole second base. Freshman Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) then drove in Lafever from third with a fly ball to center field, knotting the score, 2-2.
In the top of the sixth, Pauly led off with a single through the right side of the infield, then moved to second base on a productive groundout by Rigas.
Miller then gave the 'Cats the lead with the longest home run ever hit at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Miller crushed a Nemitz pitch high and deep to left field, where it landed on the roof of Welsh-Ryan Arena for her second homer of the season and a 4-3 NU lead.
Legendary Northwestern head coach Sharon Drysdale, who coached the 'Cats from 1979-2001, was in attendance and said she had never seen a ball travel farther at the field which bears her name.
Wilson re-entered the circle for Nemitz (11-3) to pitch for Michigan after the blast.
In the bottom of the seventh, Michigan was able to load the bases with two outs, but Canney coaxed a groundout to Williams at short to end the game.
Canney picked up the win to improve to 13-7 on the season, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing one run on four hits and five walks with five strikeouts. Delaney went 0.2 innings for the 'Cats, surrendering two hits and two runs.
Williams finished 2-for-4 for NU, while Pauly also was 2-for-4 including a double. Williams' hits extended her current hitting streak to 18 games, but she did not score a run to break her consecutive-games streak with at least one run scored at 17.
Northwestern returns to action at noon CT tomorrow, Sunday, April 1 with a doubleheader against Michigan State at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.