Feb. 22, 2009
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- After trailing for most of the game, No. 12 Northwestern used a four-run bottom of the sixth inning to come back and defeat Nebraska, 5-4, Sunday morning at the Cathedral City Classic.
With the win in the battle of the "NU's" for the second-straight year, Northwestern concludes the Cathedral City Classic with an 8-6 overall record. Nebraska's loss drops it to 6-2 on the year.
Northwestern loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first. Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) led off with a single before being erased on a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King). Thompson stole second before Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) joined her on the base paths via a hit by pitch. A walk to Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) loaded the bases but that's as far as the inning would get.
Nebraska took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second after a pair of one-out walks came around to score on a three-run home run.
Northwestern got a run back in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) reached on an error before Monka ripped a rocket single into left to move Batts to second. Pinch runner Megan Lilley (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) replaced Batts, then came around to score on a single to left by Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport).
Both teams were quiet offensively until the bottom of the sixth when Northwestern got back-to-back one out singles from Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) and pinch hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias). Williams then crushed a one-hopper directly to short that was muffed for an error to load the bases still with one out. Thompson followed with a chopper to short that the fielder was able to bring home for the force.
Pauly then hit a chopper up the middle toward the second-base side of the bag that went right through the fielder, allowing both Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) (who re-entered to run for Haug) and Williams to score to tie the game, 3-3. The tie lasted all of two batters, for after Batts drew a walk, Monka singled into right to drive in Thompson and Pauly and give NU the lead, 5-3.
The hit drove Nebraska starter Molly Hill (4-2) from the circle in favor of Ashley Hagemann, who ended the inning.
Nebraska got a leadoff walk then consecutive one-out singles to score a run in the top of the seventh before Northwestern starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) got a whiff for out number two. Monka then finished the game with a nifty over-the-shoulder catch of a foul ball past first base.
Delaney (7-5) earned the win after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
Monka finished the game 2-for-2 with two walks and two RBIs. Williams also had a pair of base knocks for the 'Cats.
Northwestern also defeated Nebraska at last year's Kajikawa Classic.
Northwestern returns to action February 27-March 1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga.