April 14, 2010
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Drysdale Field)
Score: Northwestern 10, Minnesota 1 (5)
Records: NU (17-16, 3-3 Big Ten), Minnesota (15-26, 1-6 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: vs. Minnesota, immediately (Game two of a doubleheader)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern pounded out 10 hits to plate five runs in both the third and fourth innings in the first game of a Big Ten doubleheader against Minnesota Wednesday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, run-ruling the Gophers, 10-1 (5).
Northwestern improves to 17-16 overall on the year with its win, 3-3 in the Big Ten. Minnesota now is 15-26 overall, 1-6 in the conference after its loss.
In the top of the second, Minnesota got a runner to third base with two outs against Northwestern starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias), but Delaney notched her second strikeout of the frame to strand the Gopher.
Minnesota put the game's first run on the board in the top of the third. With two outs and a Gopher at second, an error in the infield allowed the runner to scamper all the way around and slide home just ahead of the tag to take a 1-0 lead.
Northwestern responded immediately -- and in a big way -- in the bottom half of the frame, plating five runs on six hits after not recording a single base knock in the first two innings. Junior Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) and freshman Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) led off with back-to-back infield singles to third that looked nearly identical to each other, dying just in front of the charging fielder. One out later, Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) drove a pitch back through the middle to send Thompson sprinting home and Allard to third. When the centerfielder booted the ball while trying to corral it, Allard scored and Monka moved to second on the error.
Senior Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) entered to run for Monka at second, then immediately raced around to slide home safely when Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) singled through the right side of the infield to make it 3-1 in favor of the Wildcats. The inning continued when Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine), making the 200th start of her career, smashed an opposite field double over the head of the right fielder to push Batts to third. Batts would come home when a 2-1 pitch to Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) bounced away for a wild pitch to make the score 4-1. Pauly moved to third on the play.
Haug eventually walked, then the senior stole the very first base of her career. Another wild pitch from Minnesota starter Lacey Middlebrooks plated Pauly and pushed Haug to third to escort NU's advantage out to five, 5-1. An infield single by Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) did not get far enough away from the plate to score Haug, but it did chase Middlebrooks (15-14) from the circle in favor of Alissa Koch. The very next pitch of the inning resulted in a lineout to third off the bat of Thompson to end the frame.
Delaney seized on the momentum, needing just five pitches to retire the Gophers in order in the top of the fourth before Northwestern put its second five-spot of the game on the board in the bottom half.
Allard led off the NU fourth with her second single of the game before stealing both second and third. With one out in the frame, Monka crushed a two-strike pitch off the McGaw Hall wall behind left field to make the score 7-1. The blast was Monka's 10th of the year and the 29th of the sophomore's career.
Batts followed Monka with a four-pitch walk, giving way to pinch runner Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North). Pauly then guided a single into left to move Quinn to second before everybody trotted home when Haug put a pitch into a spaceship and launched it to the moon, deep over the fence in center to push the game into run-rule territory, 10-1. Haug now has nine home runs this year and 12 in her career.
Delaney surrendered two singles (including one on a 15-pitch at bat with one out) and a walk in the top of the fifth before retiring the side with nothing across to end the game in run-rule fashion. Delaney (9-11) earned the win with 5.0 innings of work, allowing one unearned run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Allard led NU offensively with two hits, two steals and two runs scored. Monka had a pair of hits and three RBIs while Haug also drove in three. Pauly went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs.