Feb. 25, 2011
Site: Cathedral City, Calif. (Pawtucket Field at Big League Dreams Park)
Score: Northwestern 3, Florida State 0
Records: NU (6-3), Florida State (8-6)
Next NU Event: Feb. 26, 2011 -- vs. No. 24 Texas A&M (Cathedral City Classic), Noon CT
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- Senior Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) threw a gem in the circle for Northwestern Friday afternoon against Florida State at the Cathedral City Classic, recording a three-hit shutout to lead the Wildcats to a 3-0 win over the Seminoles.
Smith allowed just three Seminoles to reach base on a pair of hits and a walk, at one point retiring 10 batters in a row from the second to the fifth innings. She struck out four to earn the fifth shutout of her career.
Northwestern improves to 6-3 on the season with its win while Florida State falls to 8-6 on the year with its loss. NU is 2-0 at the Cathedral City Classic following a perfect opening day.
The game was a pitcher's duel from the beginning between Northwestern's Smith and Florida State's Sarah Hamilton (4-4). After allowing the leadoff Seminole to reach base in the second, Smith retired the next nine in a row to send the game to the bottom of the fourth tied 0-0.
In that fourth, Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) led off with a laser beam through the third baseman and into left for a single. She moved to second when Mari Majam (Pine Valley, Calif./Mountain Empire) drew a walk, then came around to score when the throw on a perfect sacrifice bunt off the bat of Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled) caromed away from first for an error. Majam moved to third on that play, then came home when Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) lifted a sacrifice fly into left to give NU a 2-0 lead entering the fifth inning.
NU tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth. Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) roped a one-out single through the third baseman just as Bast had in the previous inning. Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) came in to run for her, moving to second one out later when Bast worked a walk. Majam then fought off a two-strike count to single back through the middle and drive in Quinn, pushing the NU lead to 3-0.
Smith pounded her way through a 1-2-3 sixth before setting the side down again with little trouble to conclude the game.
Northwestern returns to action at noon CT tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 26, against No. 24 Texas A&M. NU then plays Oregon State immediately after.
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