No. 2 Cal remains perfect on the season with its win, moving to 16-0. Northwestern now is 5-11 following the loss. The Golden Bears were the 10th opponent in NU's first 16 games this season ranked in one of the two top-25 polls at the time of the contest. In fact, entering today, NU's first 16 opponents of the year had combined for a 184-66 record this season.
Senior Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) pounded a two-out single off the dirt and into center in the top of the first for Northwestern's first hit of the game, but it was Cal that boarded the first runs in the bottom half. After its two leadoff batters reached, a pair of one-out base hits and a two-out double plated four to give the Golden Bears an early 4-0 edge.
Sophomore Sammy Albanese (Belmont, Calif./Castilleja) entered the circle in relief of starter Meghan Lamberth (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette) to begin the bottom of the second inning, quickly dispatching the Golden Bears in order with just 11 pitches.
The Bears would add one more run in the bottom of the third, then Monka worked a walk in the top of the fourth, but California quickly quelled that potential threat.
Northwestern found the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning with a rally comprised of a trio of singles. First, Anna Edwards (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) poked a one-out single through the middle before moving to second on a Lamberth groundout. Kristin Scharkey (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza) and Emily Allard (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley) then followed with back-to-back infield singles, the latter knocking in Edwards to make it a 5-1 game.
Cal attempted to answer in the bottom of the frame, getting its first two batters on via singles. Albanese put that Bears rally into hibernation with a groundout to Marisa Bast (Orange, Calif./Villa Park) at third, a sweet strikeout and another bounder to Allard at short.
Albanese performed the same trick in the sixth inning, stopping a two-out rally that had loaded the bases following an intentional walk by getting a harmless bouncer to Edwards at second. In the top of the seventh, though, Northwestern was unable to close the gap any farther despite a two-out Scharkey single.
Lamberth (2-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with a strikeout in one inning of work. Albanese was quite strong in relief, holding Cal to one run on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work.
At the plate, Scharkey led the 'Cats with a two-hit day.
Northwestern returns to action immediately against East Carolina at the DeMarini Invitational hosted by Cal State Fullerton.
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