Saturday, February 10
Tempe, Ariz.
3 p.m. CT/2 p.m. MT
Northwestern
3-1
5
vs
1
Indiana
0-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Indiana
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
4
0
Northwestern
0
0
0
0
0
5
X
5
5
2
Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
Northwestern Breaks Up Perfect Game, Rallies For 5-1 Win Over Indiana
2/10/2018 5:45:00 PM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – With Indiana throwing a perfect game through five innings and Northwestern trailing by a run entering the bottom of the sixth Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic, the Wildcats offense burst forth from whatever locked room it had been barricaded into and plated five runs to take a 5-1 decision over the Hoosiers.
Northwestern now is 3-1 on the season with its victory while Indiana falls to 0-3 on the year with its loss. This was a non-conference game between the two Big Ten schools.
Northwestern concludes its Kajikawa Classic schedule at 10 a.m. CT/9 a.m. MT tomorrow, Sunday, February 11, against South Dakota.
Indiana threatened first in this game in the top of the second inning, getting runners to second and third with one out against Wildcats starter Kenna Wilkey following an error, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt. Wilkey, however, got a foul out and a strikeout to keep the Hoosiers off the board. Nearly the same situation happened in the third, and this time Wilkey got a strikeout before a fly out to strand two Hoosiers in scoring position.
Northwestern meanwhile, struggled to get going offensively after hanging 11 runs on Boise State mere minutes earlier on Saturday. Indiana starter Tara Trainer was perfect during the first trip through the order.
While NU was scuffling with the bats, Wilkey was keeping the Wildcats level with timely pitches and some spectacular fielding. When, in the fifth, Indiana again got a runner to third base – this time with two outs – Wilkey dove to her right to spear a comebacker before wheeling and firing from her knees to end the inning.
Indiana broke through first in the top of the sixth, getting a leadoff solo home run to account for the game's first score. The deficit was just the medicine Northwestern need to get off the schneid. In the bottom of the sixth, Sammy Nettling led off with a booming double and gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. With no outs in a one-run game, Brooke Marquez laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that hit the dirt and spun itself into a hole in fair territory for a base hit. Boyd raced to third on the play and kept on chugging for the plate when Marquez alertly got herself in a bit of a pickle between first and second, ending up safe with the tying run.
Though Marquez was erased on a Sabrina Rabin fielder's choice grounder, the fun was just getting started. Rabin stole second and Marissa Panko walked, then Rachel Lewis slammed a single through the infield to allow Rabin to sprint to the plate with the go-ahead run. On the throw home, both Panko and Lewis moved up a base, which proved to be monstrous when Morgan Nelson singled through the middle to bring 'em both in and make it a 4-1 game.
At that point, Indiana lifted Trainer – who had been perfect through five – in favor of Emily Goodin, who promptly walked Wilkey, Lily Novak and Nettling to force Nelson home for a fifth #B1GCats run. Indiana then again shifted pitchers, bringing in Josie Wood. Marquez faced her and hit a grounder deep in the hole between first and second, but it hit Nettling in the foot. By rule Marquez was credited with a base hit, but Nettling was ruled out to end the inning.
Wilkey then put the finishing touches on her gem to end the game. Her first-collegiate win came in complete-game style: she went all 7.0 innings and gave up just one run on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
After no Wildcat had a base hit entering the bottom of the sixth, Marquez ended the game with two.
Northwestern now is 3-1 on the season with its victory while Indiana falls to 0-3 on the year with its loss. This was a non-conference game between the two Big Ten schools.
Northwestern concludes its Kajikawa Classic schedule at 10 a.m. CT/9 a.m. MT tomorrow, Sunday, February 11, against South Dakota.
Indiana threatened first in this game in the top of the second inning, getting runners to second and third with one out against Wildcats starter Kenna Wilkey following an error, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt. Wilkey, however, got a foul out and a strikeout to keep the Hoosiers off the board. Nearly the same situation happened in the third, and this time Wilkey got a strikeout before a fly out to strand two Hoosiers in scoring position.
Northwestern meanwhile, struggled to get going offensively after hanging 11 runs on Boise State mere minutes earlier on Saturday. Indiana starter Tara Trainer was perfect during the first trip through the order.
While NU was scuffling with the bats, Wilkey was keeping the Wildcats level with timely pitches and some spectacular fielding. When, in the fifth, Indiana again got a runner to third base – this time with two outs – Wilkey dove to her right to spear a comebacker before wheeling and firing from her knees to end the inning.
Indiana broke through first in the top of the sixth, getting a leadoff solo home run to account for the game's first score. The deficit was just the medicine Northwestern need to get off the schneid. In the bottom of the sixth, Sammy Nettling led off with a booming double and gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd. With no outs in a one-run game, Brooke Marquez laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that hit the dirt and spun itself into a hole in fair territory for a base hit. Boyd raced to third on the play and kept on chugging for the plate when Marquez alertly got herself in a bit of a pickle between first and second, ending up safe with the tying run.
Though Marquez was erased on a Sabrina Rabin fielder's choice grounder, the fun was just getting started. Rabin stole second and Marissa Panko walked, then Rachel Lewis slammed a single through the infield to allow Rabin to sprint to the plate with the go-ahead run. On the throw home, both Panko and Lewis moved up a base, which proved to be monstrous when Morgan Nelson singled through the middle to bring 'em both in and make it a 4-1 game.
At that point, Indiana lifted Trainer – who had been perfect through five – in favor of Emily Goodin, who promptly walked Wilkey, Lily Novak and Nettling to force Nelson home for a fifth #B1GCats run. Indiana then again shifted pitchers, bringing in Josie Wood. Marquez faced her and hit a grounder deep in the hole between first and second, but it hit Nettling in the foot. By rule Marquez was credited with a base hit, but Nettling was ruled out to end the inning.
Wilkey then put the finishing touches on her gem to end the game. Her first-collegiate win came in complete-game style: she went all 7.0 innings and gave up just one run on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
After no Wildcat had a base hit entering the bottom of the sixth, Marquez ended the game with two.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilkey, Kenna (1-0)
L: Tara Trainer (0-2)
Batting:
HR: Taylor Uden 1
RBI: Taylor Uden 1
SH: Rachel O'Malley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor Uden 1
SB: Gabbi Jenkins 3
HBP: Annika Baez 1 ; Maddie Westmoreland 1
Batting:
2B: Nettling, Sammy 1
RBI: Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Marquez, Brooke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Boyd, Abbey 1
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
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