May 14, 2010
Box Score
Site: Columbus, Ohio (Buckeye Field)
Score: No. 19 Ohio State 9, Northwestern 6
Records: NU (25-22, 10-7 Big Ten), Ohio State (36-12, 15-2 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: May 15, 2010 -- at Ohio State, 2:05 p.m. CT (Big Ten Network)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 19 Ohio State built a run-rule sized lead after four innings of play Friday afternoon at Buckeye Field before Northwestern battled back from the brink with five scores in the latter frames, but the early deficit proved too much in an eventual 9-6 Wildcat loss.
Northwestern falls to 25-22 overall on the season with its loss, 10-7 in the Big Ten. Ohio State now is 36-12 on the year, 16-2 in the league with its win.
Ohio State grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first, turning a pair of singles into a 1-0 edge on a one-out sacrifice fly against Northwestern starter Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon). The junior fanned the next Buckeye to the plate to end the inning.
In the top of the second, sophomore Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) led off the Northwestern proceedings with a double into the gap in left center. Pinch runner Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) entered to run for Monka, quickly moving to third base on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) hit a tricky grounder to third that ate up the fielder for an error, allowing Euler to cross the plate and tie the game, 1-1. The play marked the fifth-straight pinch running appearance for Euler in which she has successfully scored.
Ohio State regained the lead in the top of the third when, with a runner on second, the batter hit a long pop-fly into center that got caught up in the wind blowing out toward right, landing just beyond the fence for a home run. The next Buckeye also took advantage of the breeze with a homer to right. Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) made a fantastic diving catch for the second out of the frame, but back-to-back OSU singles chased Smith from the circle in favor of freshman Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette). A two-run double and run-scoring single followed before a bouncer to Monka at first ended the frame with OSU on top, 7-1.
Ohio State replaced starting pitcher Melanie Nichols in the top of the fourth with Megan Miller. Monka greeted her by promptly drilling a line drive down the left-field line for a leadoff single. Monka moved to second and then third when the Ohio State catcher performed a pair of Antti Niemi-style kick saves to the boards on wild pitches from Miller, who then walked Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias). Ohio State escaped the inning with no damage done on a pair of groundouts, robbing NU of runs when the shortstop made an incredible play on a beautiful bouncer from Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza).
Lamberth got a pair of outs to surround a walk of Big Ten walks leader Sam Marder in the bottom of the fourth, but a Northwestern error preceded a two-run double to give Ohio State a run-rule threshold lead, 9-1. The next batter up hit a ball up the middle that Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) dove to make a great grab of, throwing to first just a little late on a base hit. Monka took the throw and alertly fired home to get the greedy runner and end the frame.
Northwestern fought back from the brink in the top of the fifth. Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) led off with a ball to third that she basically beat out anyways, but she was able to move to third when the throw on the play rolled all the way to the wall in right. Allard drove in Thompson with an RBI groundout to make it a 9-2 game. Wheeler followed with an infield single before a two-out walk to Monka. Pauly then ripped a single into the hole at short, but Wheeler over-ran the bag at third and was caught off for the third out of the inning.
Ohio State got a one-out base runner in the bottom of the fifth before a shallow pop fly to Wheeler in the left. The junior made a running grab then fired an absolute laser beam to Monka at first to double up the runner and send the game to the sixth.
Haug led off the sixth with a hard drive into center that gave the pitcher Miller a glancing blow on its way by. Haug gave way to pinch runner Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) after the hit. One out later, Scharkey hit another tough bouncer, this one going off the glove of the second baseman for a single. Thompson then loaded the bags with one down on a single into center field.
Allard made it a 9-3 score with her second RBI groundout of the game, then Wheeler ripped the first pitch she saw from Miller into left for a two-run single, cutting the Northwestern deficit to four, 9-5, before the rally ended. Ohio State got runners to second and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth before Lamberth retired the side with no runs across for the second-straight inning.
In the top of the seventh, Monka led off with a single for her third hit of the game before Pauly reached on an error. A fielder's choice grounder erased Monka at third, then Dyer loaded the bags with a single into left before Scharkey made the score 9-6 with an RBI groundout, but that was the end of the final rally.
Smith (9-7) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits and no walks with one strikeout in 2.2 innings of work. Lamberth went 3.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and a two walks with one strikeout.
Monka was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game while Wheeler went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Allard drove in two and Thompson scored twice.
Northwestern returns to action in its regular season finale at 2:05 p.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, May 15, at No. 19 Ohio State. The game will be broadcast live in high definition on the Big Ten Network.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter and become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! Get the latest news, schedule updates, video and interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!