April 3, 2008

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) slugged two home runs and a double, driving in five runs Thursday afternoon to lead No. 15 Northwestern to a 9-1, five-inning victory over Loyola (Chicago) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

The Wildcats improve to 18-9 on the season with their win, while the Ramblers fall to 9-13 on the year with their loss.

Loyola scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning, but Northwestern's defense did well to limit the damage. A leadoff bunt single and walk put runners at first and second with no outs before a sacrifice bunt moved both Ramblers up a base. Loyola then attempted a squeeze, but starting pitcher Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) corralled it and fired to catcher Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) to nail the runner for out number two. The next batter singled into left to score the Rambler at third, but left fielder Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) gunned down the trailing runner at the plate to end the inning.

Northwestern struck right back for three runs in the bottom half of the frame. Wheeler and Williams led off with back-to-back infield singles, then Batts laced a double into the gap in left-center field to score both Wheeler and Williams and give NU a 2-1 lead. Batts advanced to third on the throw to the plate, then scored when Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) hit a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in center to make the score 3-1.

Loyola threatened again in the top of the second, putting a runner on third with one out after an error and a passed ball, but Dyer picked her off on a broken squeeze attempt to end the threat.

In the bottom of the frame, freshman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) led off with a four-pitch walk before immediately stealing second. Another infield single from Wheeler one out later moved Thompson to third, then a Wheeler steal put 'Cats at second and third. Williams drove in Thompson with an RBI groundout to short before Batts hit a towering home run over the center field fence to give the Wildcats a 6-1 lead after two innings.

In the bottom of the third, Dyer drew a walk, then was replaced at first by pinch runner Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest), who quickly stole second. Sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) followed with a single back up the middle to score Euler.

Batts added another run to Northwestern's total in the bottom of the fourth with her second home run of the game, this one a solo shot to left with two outs. She now has six home runs on the season to rank second on the team. Pauly followed with a double off the top of the fence in right, then came home when Erin Dyer singled back up the middle to push the score into run-rule territory, 9-1.

While Northwestern was scoring in every inning, Delaney was making sure that Loyola was not. She recorded the final eight outs of the contest by strikeout, fanning the side in the fourth and fifth to finish with nine K's and improve her record to 16-6 on the year. She allowed one run on two hits with two walks.

In addition to Batts, Wheeler was 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Kelly Dyer was a perfect 2-for-2. Thompson walked twice in two plate appearances and stole two bases.

Northwestern returns to action at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 6, for a Big Ten doubleheader at No. 24 Ohio State.

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