May 13, 2011
Box Score
Site: University Park, Pa. (Beard Field)
Score: Penn State 6, Northwestern 3
Records: NU (23-19, 5-12 Big Ten), Penn State (28-22-1, 10-8-1 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: May 14, 2011 -- at Penn State (Beard Field), Noon CT
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Northwestern took the early lead Friday at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions plated six runs in the fourth inning to defeat the Wildcats, 6-3.
Northwestern falls to 23-19 on the season with its loss, 5-12 in the Big Ten. Penn State now is 28-22-1 on the year with its win, 10-8-1 in the conference.
Northwestern sophomore Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) led off the game with an infield single before quickly stealing second base. Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) sacrificed Allard to third before Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) drew a four-pitch walk.
Freshman Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) then hit a grounder to third base. The fielder checked Allard -- who was dancing a jig off the bag -- before turning to fire to first. Allard took off for the plate after distracting the fielder to the point that her throw was wide of the bag, allowing Bast to be safe at first on the error after her at-bat gave NU a 1-0 lead. Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) then drove a liner into right field that the fielder leapt to catch, leading to a double-up of the runner at second to end the inning.
Northwestern returned the twin killing favor in the bottom of the first. With runners at first and second and one out, the Nittany Lion at the plate hit a screaming bouncer toward Thompson at third. The senior gloved it on a short hop, quickly touched third and fired to Monka at first to end the frame.
After NU starter Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) had a 1-2-3 bottom of the second with a pair of strikeouts, Allard got the NU offense kicking again in the third. The USA Player of the Year top-25 finalist chopped a single high off the infield dirt before stealing second for the second time in the game. Two outs later, Bast reached out and served a single into right field to bring Allard home and extend NU's lead to 2-0.
Smith completed her second-straight 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the third, though center fielder Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) provided some legit assistance on the final out. The batter drove a ball deep to center that Scharkey sprinted after, reaching up and making the grab to the left of the 220-foot marker as she crashed into the padded barrier.
Penn State found the scoreboard for the only time in the game in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff single followed by a walk came around to score after a smash double down the line in left that barely eluded the glove of a diving Thompson at third. The next batter singled to give the Nittany Lions a 3-2 lead. Later in the frame, with runners at first and second and one out, sophomore Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) entered the circle in relief of Smith.
A walk loaded the bases, then PSU pushed across a fourth run on a sacrifice fly after Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) made a tremendous diving catch in foul territory. The next batter, however, singled off the end of her bat to plate two more and give PSU a 6-2 lead before the inning finally came to an end.
Northwestern fought back in the top of the fifth, beginning with a leadoff infield single for the speedy Thompson. Monka was granted her second walk of the game and gave way to pinch runner Lauren Ackerman (St. Louis, Mo./Home schooled) at first. One out later, Batts smashed a single into center to bring Thompson home and move Ackerman to second. Amanda Mehrsheikh (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central) took over running duties at first for Batts, but the inning ended before NU cut any further into its 6-3 deficit.
Scharkey recorded her second hit of the game with one out in the sixth, then Allard was credited with a bunt sacrifice after she was ruled out on a tough call at first. The PSU pitcher stabbed a comebacker off the bat of Thompson to end the sixth-inning NU threat.
Northwestern got a double play in the bottom of the sixth to help stay within three runs. With no outs and a runner at first, Thompson corralled a sacrifice bunt try and fired to second to get the lead runner. Allard threw to first too late to get the batter-runner, then the ball trickled away. Backing up the play, right fielder Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) picked up the ball and tagged the runner, who was ruled to have made a move toward second and called out.
Northwestern was unable to rally in the top of the seventh, ending the game with a 6-3 final score.
Smith (8-11) took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work. Lamberth went 2.2 innings, giving up a run on two hits and a walk with one K.
At the plate, Allard was 2-for-3 with two runs and two steals. Batts and Scharkey both had two hits and Bast drove in a pair for the Wildcats.
Northwestern and Penn State conclude their series at noon CT tomorrow, Saturday, May 14, at Beard Field.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!