Delaney Puts 'K' in Buckeye, No-Hits No. 24 Ohio State, 7-0
April 6, 2008
Photo Gallery From Game (Images by Mark Hefner)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sophomore Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) fired her fourth no-hitter of the season and her second in Big Ten play Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader at No. 24 Ohio State, striking out 11 in a 7-0 win for No. 15 Northwestern. The win improves Northwestern's overall record to 19-9 on the season, 5-0 in the Big Ten. Ohio State's loss drops it to 23-13 overall, 2-5 in the conference. Delaney allowed three walks and a hit batter in the game to record the fifth no-no of her career and her third in conference games. The last Northwestern pitcher to no-hit multiple Big Ten teams in the same year was former All-World Wildcat Lisa Ishikawa, who had five no-hitters in 1987, with three of them coming versus league foes. The no-hitter was Delaney's second against a ranked opponent in 2008. She tossed a 7.1 inning no-no in a 1-0, international tiebreaker loss to No. 24 Virginia Tech on March 8. Northwestern got things going immediately in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, junior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) worked a full-count walk, then sped all the way around to score the game's first run when freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) laced a double into the left-center field gap.
In the top of the second, freshman Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King). A freak two-out infield double by freshman Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Ill./Los Alamitos) that bounced high over the third baseman's head before glancing into foul territory off the glove of a lunging shortstop moved Quinn to third. Ohio State starter Kim Reeder then issued an intentional walk to Williams to load the bases, but Batts followed with a fly ball to the warning track in left that was caught just feet short of a grand slam to end the inning.
The Wildcats added another run in the top of the fifth that was very similar to their tally in the first. Williams led off with an infield single, then motored around to third on a solid single into center by Batts. The throw from the center fielder came in hot to third and bounded into the dugout, allowing Williams to score and moving Batts to third on the error. Sophomore Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) replaced Batts at third, then sprinted home one out later on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by junior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) to make the score 3-0. The 'Cats continued to pull away with three runs in the top of the sixth. Quinn led off the inning with a single into right to reach base for the third time in the game, then came all the way around to score when Thompson ripped a pitch to the wall in right for an RBI triple. Pinch hitter Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) followed with a walk, with senior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) re-entering to run at first base. Wheeler followed with a bouncing ball back to the pitcher, who fired home to protect the plate, allowing Wheeler to arrive safely at first to load the bases on the fielder's choice. Williams then lined a pitch into left that was caught for the first out of the inning, with Thompson sprinting home on the sacrifice fly. Batts followed Williams with her third hit of the game, a single into center that plated Sengewald for a 6-0 Northwestern advantage. The Wildcats loaded the bases again with one out in the top of the seventh, getting a leadoff walk by Quinn, a one-out single by Sengewald and a pinch-hit walk from junior Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Reeder (12-9) then chased herself from the game by drilling Williams with the first pitch she threw her, forcing Quinn across the plate to make the score 7-0. Ohio State's Megan Miller relieved Reeder in the circle, and got the Buckeyes out of the jam with no further damage done. Batts was 3-for-5 in the game with two RBIs, while Quinn was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs. She reached in all four of her plate appearances. Williams was a perfect 1-for-1 with two walks (one intentional), a sacrifice fly and a hit by pitch. She drove in two and scored twice. |
 MGOLF: Alum Chris Wilson in PGA Debut Lacrosse Championship Celebration Event WLAX On Fox Chicago Morning News BTN: Lax Championship Coverage WLAX: NU vs. UNC Final Highlights WLAX: Amonte Hiller Postgame Interview WLAX: NU vs. Penn Semifinal Highlights Fitz Sings Stretch At Wrigley Field Fitz Shoots Puck At Hawks Clincher
|
