April 23, 2011
Box Score
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Drysdale Field)
Score: Northwestern 14, Ohio State 0 (5)
Records: NU (21-13, 3-6 Big Ten), Ohio State (12-27, 2-9 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: April 24, 2011 -- vs. Ohio State (Drysdale Field), 2 p.m. CT (Big Ten Network)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern racked up 12 base hits and scored 14 runs -- including eight in the fourth inning -- during a 14-0, five-inning run-rule victory over Ohio State Saturday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Northwestern improves to 21-13 overall on the season with its win, 3-6 in the Big Ten. Ohio State falls to 11-28 on the year, 2-9 in the conference with its loss.
After Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) erased an Ohio State threat in the top of the first with a nice back-handed stop in the hole at short, she led off the NU half of the inning with an infield single before immediately stealing second base. One out later, Allard moved to third on an illegal pitch before Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) joined her on base via her 41st walk of the season.
With two outs in the inning, freshman Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) drove a single through the infield to plate Allard and put NU up early, 1-0. Freshman Mari Majam (Pine Valley, Calif./Mountain Empire) drew a walk after the Bast hit to load the bases, but the inning ended there with no further damage.
After NU starting pitcher Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) got a pair of strikeouts during a scoreless top of the second, the Wildcats got right back on the scoring train. Freshman Paige Tonz (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) led off with a hit by pitch before Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) drew a walk. Allard then shot a single into center to bring Tonz home for a 3-0 NU lead. With runners now at first and second, Ohio State removed starter Kasie Kelly (3-7) in favor of Karisa Medrano.
One out later, Monka stared Zephyr, the Greek God of the West Wind, in the face and won emphatically. Monka unloaded on a Medrano offering and sent it soaring over the center field fence into the teeth of a strong breeze for her 10th home run of the season and 41st of her career. Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) followed with a double to the fence in left center before giving way to pinch runner Amanda Mehrsheikh (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central). Bast then drove in her second run of the day with a single to center to make it 6-0 in favor of NU before the second inning ended.
The teams traded 1-2-3 innings, then Northwestern got rolling again at the plate to the tune of an eight-run fourth. Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) led off the frame with a single before stealing second and moving to third when the throw sailed into center. Monka drew her second walk of the game, yielding first to pinch runner Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled). Ackerman immediately stole second before Batts walked to load the bases with no outs.
Bast then lifted a soft single into left field for her third hit of the day, moving everyone up a base and moving the scoreboard to 7-0 in favor of Northwestern. One out later, Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) singled to center to plate Ackerman and push the game into run-rule territory, 8-0.
The scoring continued with a bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette). Scharkey then smacked a ball back up the middle that drilled the OSU pitcher in the shin for an RBI single to make it 10-0. Plant, the OSU hurler in question, crumpled to the ground on the play but was able to shake it off and continue throwing -- immediately retiring the next batter on the next pitch. Thompson, however, kept the scoring going with a single to right to drive in a pair before Monka drove in two more with a double to give the Wildcats eight runs in the inning and a 14-0 lead in the game.
Ohio State elected to bring back starter Kelly to the circle at that point, and she was able to end the inning. Smith then worked around a one-out single to finish of the game.
Smith (7-7) earned the shutout victory, allowing three hits and no walks with four strikeouts in the complete game effort.
Bast was 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and a run scored while Monka went 2-for-2 with two walks and a season-high five RBIs. Thompson collected two runs, hits and RBIs while Allard had two hits and scored twice. Tonz and Scharkey each scored a pair of times. Wheeler had a base hit to extend her current team-high hitting streak to 11 games.
Northwestern returns to action at 2 p.m. CT tomorrow, Sunday, April 24, against Ohio State. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
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