Feb. 16, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three different Wildcats hit home runs and No. 6 Northwestern pounded out 15 hits in a 14-2, six-inning run-rule victory over Idaho State Saturday afternoon at the Kajikawa Classic.
Northwestern now is 2-0 on the season following its victory over No. 1 Arizona Saturday morning. Idaho State falls to 0-7 on the year with the loss.
Idaho State opened the game's scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The first Bengal batter reached on an error followed by a walk issued during the first inning of freshman pitcher Jessica Smith's (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) career. A single and wild pitch allowed both to score to put NU in an early hole, 2-0.
Northwestern jumped back out on top with five runs in the top of the third inning. Senior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) led off the frame with a grounder to short, but the first baseman pulled her leg off the bag to allow Sengewald to reach on the error. Junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) followed with a roped single into center, moving Sengewald to second.
Sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) sent another single into center to score Sengewald and put Williams on third before reaching second herself on the throw. Freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) followed with a dribbling single in the infield to drive in Williams and move Pauly to third.
Sophomore Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) replaced Batts at first, then stole second. Back-to-back sacrifice flies from juniors Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) and Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) plated Pauly and Euler to give Northwestern a 4-0 lead.
With the bases now empty and two outs in the inning, sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) hit a single into center, then raced to second when the fielder bobbled the ball. In a continued display of brilliant base running, Dyer came all the way home from second on an infield single by freshman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) to complete the Wildcats' five-run third.
In the top of the fifth, Erin Dyer added to the 'Cats' lead with a one-out solo home run to left-center field. Her sister, Kelly, followed with her career-best third hit of the game, a single to short. After a wild pitch moved Kelly Dyer to second, Thompson drove a single into center to plate the younger Dyer and give NU a 7-2 lead.
Erin Dyer's homer was her first of the year and the 17th of her career, moving her into a tie with Erin Mobley (2002-05) and Sue Hebson (1980-83) for sixth on Northwestern's career list.
Williams chimed in with her first home run of the season and the 31st of her career to lead off a six-run sixth. The blast moves Williams into a tie for 15th on the Big Ten conference's career list. Walks to Pauly and Rigas put a pair of runners on, with sophomore Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) pinch running for Rigas. A double from pinch hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) drove in Pauly, then a single by Thompson chased home Lafever and Haug to push the game into run-rule territory, 11-2.
Not finished just yet, freshman pinch hitter Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) launched her first-career home run to drive in Thompson. With the bases now empty, Sengewald walked before pinch hitter Gina Gonzalez (LaVerne, Calif./Bonita) also drew a base on balls. Pauly reached on an error, then a walk to Batts forced in NU's final run of the game to make the score 14-2.
Kelly Dyer and Thompson both had three hits for the 'Cats, with Dyer scoring twice and Thompson driving in four. Williams and Batts each had a pair of base knocks. Williams, Sengewald and Pauly added two runs scored, while Batts, Erin Dyer and Quinn drove in two.
Smith earned her first collegiate win with a complete-game effort. She allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Northwestern returns to action at 9 a.m. CT tomorrow, Feb. 17, to resume its suspended game against No. 3 Texas A&M from Friday. The Wildcats currently lead the Aggies, 8-4, in the bottom of the fifth, but A&M has the bases loaded with no outs. Northwestern then concludes its Kajikawa Classic slate with a 10 a.m. CT game against Nebraska.