CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- In an entertaining game Sunday morning at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic that featured four lead changes, Northwestern came out on top of a talented South Carolina squad, 6-4, on getaway day at Cathedral City's Big League Dreams ballpark.

The Wildcats (4-9) handed the Gamecocks (11-4) their first loss of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with the result. Northwestern returns to action Feb. 27-March 1 at the Louisville Slugger Invitational co-hosted by Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.

In the bottom of the first, South Carolina got on the board against Northwestern starter Kristen Wood (Trevor, Wis./Wilmot Union) via a solo home run. The Gamecocks had runners at second and third with two outs later in the inning before Wood notched her second strikeout of the inning to keep the deficit at a single run.

Wood bounced back to have an easy 1-2-3 inning in the second, while South Carolina kept a more feisty Northwestern effort at bay. In the top of the second, a Brooke Marquez (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) two-out drive to center was caught on the run at the fence to keep a run from scoring while a Caylor Arnold (Mt. Gilead, Ohio/Mt. Gilead) line drive to right was caught with a lunge to start the third.

The first two Gamecocks to the plate in the third reached on a walk and a bunt single before left fielder Krista Williams (Pleasanton, Calif./Amador Valley) came charging in to catch a little flare on a dive for the first out. Later, with runners at second and third, Williams went the other way to track down a blast just in front of the fence to keep the Gamecocks' lead at just 1-0.

Those plays helped Northwestern take the lead in the fourth. With one out, Andrea DiPrima (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) shot a single through the right side of the infield and moved to third when Andrea Filler (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) lined a single into right. At that point, freshman Abbey Boyd (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) entered to pinch run for DiPrima at third while Amy Letourneau (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) pinch hit at the plate.

Letourneau drove an RBI single through the left side of the infield to tie the game, then Brianna LeBeau (Worth, Ill./H.L. Richards) gave Northwestern a 3-1 lead with a two-run pinch hit single of her own. The inning came to an end when Marquez smoked a line drive at the third baseman, who caught it and was able to double off LeBeau.

After the rally, Wood needed just nine pitches to put together a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth, South Carolina changed out its starting pitcher, Nickie Blue, for Julie Sarratt. Arnold led off the frame with a smash right back at Sarratt, who snared the ball in self-defense to make the NU catcher the victim of a hard-hit out for the second time in the game. Though Sabrina Rabin (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) singled and stole second, another line drive on the infield ended the inning.

Letourneau remained in the game and entered the circle in relief of Wood to start the fifth. The first four Gamecocks to the plate reached against her to force one run across, then a one-out single gave South Carolina the lead again, 4-3, entering the sixth inning.

The Wildcats fired back in the top of the sixth, beginning with a DiPrima leadoff single followed by a Filler walk. Letourneau then put a hot-shot in play that went through the wickets of the third baseman, but DiPrima was thrown out at the plate to keep South Carolina in the lead. For exactly two pitches.

--- (Literary cliffhanger).

--- (Dramatic pause).

LeBeau annihilated a 1-0 pitch in the next at-bat deep to dead center to bring everyone home and put Northwestern back out in front again, 6-4. The shot was her second of the year and the 13th of her career. The inning continued when Marquez reached on an error before Arnold fell victim to great defense AGAIN, this time on a diving catch of a sinking liner in left field.

Once again, Northwestern pitching backed up a three-run offensive outburst with a 1-2-3 defensive inning. Letourneau started and ended the sixth with strikeouts to send the Wildcats into the seventh with a 6-4 lead.

In the top of the seventh, senior Anna Edwards (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) pinch hit and reached on a one-out error. Marissa Panko (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) re-entered to run for Edwards, then DiPrima ripped a double to left for her third hit of the game. Panko made a wide turn at the third-base bag on the play and ended up being tagged out. A pop-up would end the frame with Northwestern's lead still at two runs.

In the bottom of the seventh, the leadoff Gamecock reached on an error before a single and a full-count walk loaded the bases with no outs. Facing the next batter, Letourneau got a swinging strike two that got past Arnold and to the very shallow backstop. Arnold was able to recover to throw to Letourneau covering the plate in time to get the runner trying to score for out number one. Letourneau then completed the strikeout for out number two. With first base now open, Letourneau battled the next batter through a full count and an eventual walk before coaxing a groundout to Panko at third to end the game.

LeBeau and Letourneau combined to go 3-for-4 with all six Northwestern RBIs and three runs scored off the bench. LeBeau herself contributed a career-best five of those RBIs. DiPrima had three hits in the game for the Wildcats including her third double of the weekend while Filler scored twice.

Wood went 4.0 innings in her start, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Letourneau (2-7) was credited the victory in relief after being part of NU's comeback in the sixth. She threw 3.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

••••••

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, subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for 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!