Feb. 11, 2011
Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe Sports Complex NW Field)
Score: No. 9 Oklahoma 9, Northwestern 1 (6)
Records: NU (0-1), Oklahoma (3-0)
Next NU Event: Feb. 11, 2011 -- vs. Bradley (Tempe Sports Complex), 8:30 p.m. CT
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Junior Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) lined a solo homer in Northwestern's 2011 season-opening contest Friday afternoon against No. 9 Oklahoma at the Kajikawa Classic, but the Sooners accounted for the rest of the scoring in a 9-1 (6) win over the Wildcats.
Oklahoma opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, getting its first batter to the plate on first via an error before a double down the line in left plated her for a 1-0 Sooner edge. NU starter Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) beautifully fanned the next two batters before coaxing a foul out to limit the damage to a single run.
In the bottom of the second, Smith got a huge strikeout with runners at second and third and one out, but a two-out slap just out of the reach of Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) at short brought home another Sooner run to make the score 2-0. Oklahoma added a third run to its total with a leadoff home run in the third, but again Smith limited the scoring to a single tally.
In the top of the fourth, OU starter Keilani Ricketts retired the first two 'Cats she saw before Monka drilled a delivery over the center-field fence on a rope to put NU on the board, 3-1. The shot was Monka's first of the year and the 32nd of her career.
Oklahoma responded immediately, however. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, a double and a single plated a trio of runs to extend the Sooner lead to five, 6-1. The inning ended when third baseman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) made a great play, leaping up the dugout fence to snag a foul pop before it touched the dugout itself.
Freshman Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) collected her first collegiate base hit with a hot shot through the hole in left to lead off the fifth, but the Wildcats were unable to turn the knock into a rally.
A one-out double in the bottom of the sixth chased Smith from the circle in favor of freshman Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja). The next batter, however, hit a two-run homer to end the game via the run rule, 9-1 (6).
Smith (0-1) took the loss, going 5.1 innings and giving up eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Albanese was charged with a single run.
Northwestern returns to action immediately against Bradley at the Kajikawa Classic.
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