April 12, 2008

Box Score

URBANA, Ill. -- No. 14 Northwestern battled through three brief rain delays totaling 42 minutes Saturday afternoon at Illinois, but the Wildcats hit as many two-run home runs (finishing with four homers total) as there were stoppages in the game to defeat the Illini, 11-6.

The win improves Northwestern to 22-9 overall on the season, 8-0 in the Big Ten. Illinois falls to 22-22 on the year, 2-6 in the conference.

All nine of Northwestern's offensive starters recorded a hit in the game, with the Wildcats accounting for four home runs, two triples and two doubles among their 14 total base knocks.

Northwestern got started in a hurry Saturday, putting four on the board in the top of the first courtesy of two-run home runs by freshman Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) and junior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport). Batt's blast cleared the center field fence in a big way with freshman Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) on base following a leadoff walk. Dyer's homer got up into the wind blowing out to right field and carried over the fence, driving in sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine), who was at second following a single into left and an error by the Illini left fielder on the play.

The home runs were the eighth of the season for both Batts and Dyer, while Dyer's was her second of the series and the 24th of her career.

While Northwestern starter Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) took her warm up pitches in the bottom of the first, a heavier pocket of rain popped up and delayed play for 10 minutes. Delaney threw a perfect frame with one strikeout before another quick burst of rain halted proceedings for 27 minutes while officials checked radar prior to the top of the second.

In that top of the second inning, freshman Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a groundout from senior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East). Wheeler followed with a poke single into center to send Thompson home and make the score 5-0.

Illinois got a run without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the second. A walk, a Northwestern fielding error and another walk loaded the bases with two outs before a Delaney wild pitch allowed the Illini to get on the board. With the bases again loaded following a walk, Delaney fanned the next batter looking to end the inning.

In the top of the third, Northwestern continued to assault Illinois starter Ashley Wright. Pauly led off with a single into right field, then moved around to third on a double that carried over the head of the Illinois right fielder. Dyer was replaced at second by sophomore Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley), and Illinois replaced Wright (5-6) in the circle with Friday's starter Claire DeVreese.

Freshman Kelly Quinn (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) then hit a slow comebacker to DeVreese that allowed Pauly to score on an RBI groundout, then sophomore Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) ripped a triple down the right-field line just to the inside of the bag at first to plate Lafever and make the score 7-1.

Illinois tacked on its second run in the bottom of the third, getting a solo homer for its first hit of the game. Another brief five minute rain delay then occurred during the top of the fourth after DeVreese threw two pitches to the backstop, but the game quickly resumed.

Northwestern made the score 9-2 in the top of the fifth inning courtesy of the Wildcats' third two-run homer of the game. Quinn led off the frame with an infield single before Sengewald launched her first home run of the season over the fence in right two outs later.

To begin the top of the sixth, Illinois replaced DeVreese in the circle with Christine Christopoulos. With two outs in the inning, Pauly pushed the game into run-rule territory with a solo homer off the new pitcher to make the score 10-2.

Delaney came out in the bottom of the sixth and retired the first batter before Illinois notched an infield single. The next batter then hit a home run to cut the NU lead down to six, 10-4.

In the top of the seventh, Illinois continued to parade its pitching staff into the circle, with Vicky Brown taking over for Christopoulos. With one out in the frame, Thompson barely missed her first-career home run with a soaring drive off the very top of the fence in right center, but the speedy freshman made it all the way around to third for her second triple of the year. She was erased at the plate, however, trying to score on a sharp ground ball from Sengewald.

Now with two outs in the inning, Wheeler drove a double into the left-center field gap to score Sengewald and extend NU's lead back out to seven, 11-4.

Illinois added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make the final score 11-6.

Delaney picked up her 20th win of the season (20-6 overall), allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits and five walks with nine strikeouts.

Pauly and Erin Dyer both had three-hit days for Northwestern, the third of Pauly's career and the second for Dyer. Wheeler had a 2-for-3 day with two walks in the game. Pauly scored a career-best three times, Sengewald crossed the plate twice, and Dyer, Batts, Sengewald and Wheeler each drove in two runs for NU.

Northwestern returns to action with a doubleheader at noon CT tomorrow, Sunday, April 13, at Iowa.

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