Feb. 13, 2010
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Nevada scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to complete a comeback Saturday night against No. 15 Northwestern at the Kajikawa Classic, defeating the Wildcats, 6-4.
The loss drops Northwestern to 2-2 on the season while Nevada improves to 2-2 with its win.
Nevada jumped on top early against Northwestern starter Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon). An error put a runner on first, then a two-out home run gave the Wolfpack a quick 2-0 edge.
Northwestern evened the game immediately in quite similar fashion. Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) reached base as the leadoff batter via a throwing error, then trotted home two outs later when sophomore Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) laced her first base-hit of the season over the fence in right.
After hitting 19 home runs as a freshman, Monka now has 20 for her career, tied for seventh in school history with Gretchen Barnes (1999-2002).
Northwestern took the lead in the bottom of the third on yet another home run for ridiculously red hot Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North). With Monka on first via a two-out walk, Batts unleashed her fifth home run of the weekend in NU's four games to put the Wildcats on top, 4-2. The junior now has 25 home runs for her career.
Smith settled down following the runs in the first inning. She put bagels on the scoreboard in each of the next three innings while fanning four to match her career high for strikeouts in a single game.
The leadoff member of the Wolfpack in the fifth got on base via a bunt single and Northwestern inserted freshman Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) into the circle in place of Smith. A walk and an out were the result of the next two batters to the plate before a single back up the middle plated a pair to tie the game, 4-4.
In the bottom half of the frame, freshman Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) led off with a bloop double into left. One out later, Monka joined her on first via an intentional walk, then with two outs in the frame, Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) worked a full count base on balls to load the bags, but the rally would end there with no runs across.
Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) drew a pinch hit, leadoff walk to start the Northwestern sixth. One out later, she motored around to third when the throw on a sacrifice bunt by Thompson got away at first for an error. Thompson then quickly stole second to put runners at second and third with one out, but again the threat was extinguished with no damage done.
Nevada put together a rally of its own in the seventh. Lamberth issued a leadoff walk before fanning the next batter. The following member of the Wolfpack, however, dropped a texas-leaguer into the Bermuda Triangle in left center field to place runners at second and third with one out. Senior Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) then entered the circle in relief of Lamberth. The next batter reached base, then two runs came home on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to left to put Nevada on top, 6-4.
Monka led off the bottom of the seventh by beating out an infield dying liner deep in the hole at short, then was replaced by pinch runner Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled). Batts then was hit by a pitch and replaced at first by Megan Lilley (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) to put two runners on base with no outs, but again, nothing would come of the final rally.
Monka finished 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBIs and a pair of walks. Batts also had two hits and two RBIs.
Smith went the first 4+ innings in the circle, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts. Lamberth (0-1) was saddled with the loss in relief, going 2.1 innings and allowing three runs on two hits and three walks with one K. Delaney pitched the final 0.2 innings.
Northwestern concludes its Kajikawa Classic schedule at 11 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 14, against Creighton.