April 16, 2011
Box Score
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Pearl Field)
Score: Iowa 10, Northwestern 8 (10)
Records: NU (20-12, 2-5 Big Ten), Iowa (23-16, 6-3 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: April 17, 2011 -- at Iowa (Pearl Field), 1 p.m. CT (Big Ten Network)
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- On an incredibly windy day Saturday in Iowa City that saw both teams down to their final outs in a wild seventh inning, Iowa hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Northwestern, 10-8 (8).
Northwestern falls to 20-12 on the year with its loss, 2-5 in the conference. Iowa now is 23-16 on the season, 6-3 in the Big Ten with its win.
Robin Thompson got a one-out single and a steal for Northwestern in the top of the first though no runs crossed because of the activity. Iowa then staked itself to an early lead in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases against NU starter Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) on three singles -- two of which never left the infield -- before a hit by pitch forced in the first Hawkeye run. Smith left the bases loaded with a pair of Ks and a little flare to Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) at short to limit the deficit to 1-0.
Northwestern knotted the game in the top of the third. With one out in the frame, Allard drew a full-count walk before stealing her 33rd base of the year. Thompson then ripped a pitch into the gap in left-center for a stand-up double, plating Allard and making it a 1-1 game. NU nearly added another run when Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) hit a grounder up the middle, but the Iowa second baseman did well to range to her right, backhand it and throw out Bast by a quarter step.
The Hawkeyes reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning after yet another infield single preceded a hit by pitch, a double steal and a squeeze bunt. Again, Smith limited the damage with a strikeout to keep the Wildcats' deficit at 2-1 entering the fourth.
Northwestern fought back immediately in the top half of the fourth. Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) drew her second leadoff walk of the game before motoring around to third one out later on a Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) double. Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) entered the game to pinch hit, driving a high fly ball that caught a ride on the wind to the warning track in right center for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Now with Wheeler at third, Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) rolled a two-out single through the hole in the right side of the infield to give the Wildcats their first lead, 3-2.
After Smith disposed of the Hawkeyes quickly in the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats poured on some pressure in the top of the fifth. Allard reached on a leadoff error when the Iowa shortstop could not handle a two-hopper toward her glove side. Allard then swiped her second base of the game before coming around to slide in ahead of the throw on Thompson's third base knock of the day. Thompson advanced to second on the throw home, moved to third on an Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) ground out then came home on a Bast bounder back through the middle to extend the NU cushion to three, 5-2.
Iowa got one run back in the fifth on a leadoff error and a double, then got runners to second and third with no outs against Smith. The senior calmly induced a pair of lazy infield flies before ending the inning on a strikeout to keep the Wildcats up by two, 5-3.
The Hawkeyes regained the lead in the top of the sixth on three unearned runs. After a leadoff single moved to second on a groundout, the next batter attempted a sacrifice bunt, but an error on the play allowed a run to score to make NU's lead one, 5-4. Runners eventually reached second and third with one out before Smith stabbed a comebacker for out number two. The next batter, however, doubled on an 0-2 pitch at eye level to put the Hawkeyes in the lead, 6-5, and set up the final inning dramatics.
In that inning, Thompson drew a one-out walk before moving around to third on a Monka single. Amanda Mehrshiekh (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) entered to run for Monka. One out later, Batts annihilated a pitch that rode the jet stream deep over the right-field fence to put NU back in front, 8-6. Iowa then got a double, a single and a two-out double against NU reliever Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) to knot the game, 8-8, and send it to the eighth.
Thompson recorded her fourth hit of the game with one out in the top of the eighth, then moved to second when Monka also singled. A fielder's choice grounder that involved an error resulted in Monka at third and Mari Majam (Pine Valley, Calif./Mountain Empire) at second with two outs. Iowa intentionally walked Batts to load the bases before ending the frame on a fielder's choice groundout. Iowa then walked off with a two-run homer to account for the final 10-8 score.
Despite reaching base twice, stealing two bags and scoring two runs, Allard's 22-game hitting streak came to an end in the contest. Thompson led NU at the plate with a 4-for-4 day, driving in two, stealing a base and scoring once. Monka, Wheeler and Scharkey all had two hits for NU while Batts drove in three and scored twice.
Smith received no decision, allowing six runs (two earned) on 10 hits and no walks with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Albanese (6-5) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk in one-plus innings of work.
Northwestern and Iowa complete their two-game series at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, Sunday, April 17, live on the Big Ten Network.
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