Northwestern Postgame Quotes in PDF Format
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Postgame Notes in PDF Format
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May 31, 2007

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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Senior Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) struck out 11 and allowed only a sixth-inning bunt single Thursday afternoon in No. 2 seed Northwestern's Women's College World Series opener against No. 2 Arizona State, throwing the Wildcats to a 2-0 win over No. 7 seed Arizona State.

Canney struck out 11 in her second-career one-hit shutout in the World Series, something she also accomplished last year in a winner's bracket win over Tennessee. She allowed three walks and the one hit to go along with her Ks.

Canney now is 32-9 on the year, and 96-33 on her career, with both win totals leaving her one shy of the school's single-season and career records set by NU pitching legend Lisa Ishikawa.

With the win, Northwestern advances in the winner's bracket of the WCWS and will play No. 6 seed Washington at 6 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, June 1) on ESPN. Note, this is a change from the ESPN2 broadcast the NCAA originally publicized. The Huskies defeated DePaul, 3-1, in their opening round game earlier on Thursday.

The Wildcats' now are 51-11 on the year, breaking the program's single-season record for wins, set last year with 50. NU is 3-2 all-time in its opening game of the Women's College World Series.

Northwestern scored its first run of the 2007 Women's College World Series in the bottom half of the third inning. Freshman Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) led off with a line-shot single just off the top of the third baseman's glove, then moved up a bag on a sacrifice bunt by junior Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East).

Senior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) followed with a double into right field to score Dyer and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

In the circle, Canney was simply being ... Canney. She allowed two base runners through the first five innings, getting a fly out to end the fourth inning after a leadoff walk reached third base with two outs. In the top of the fifth, Canney battled Rhiannon Baca through a 12-pitch at bat, finally striking out the Sun Devil looking to end the inning.

Dyer picked up her second base knock of the game off Arizona State starter Katie Burkhart with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but would not advance past first base.

Canney took her no-hitter into the sixth inning, but Michelle Smith broke it up with a beautiful bunt single to third for the first ASU hit of the ball game. One out later, Canney walked USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist Kaitlin Cochran for the third time in the game to put runners on first and second with one down. Canney then notched her ninth strikeout of the game and coaxed a foul out to shortstop Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) to end the inning.

After recording the final out of the sixth inning, Williams led off the bottom of the frame with a bang, launching her 15th home run of the season off the fair pole down the left-field line to give the Wildcats a two-run cushion, 2-0.

Williams' 15 home runs this season rank second in NU single-season history, trailing only teammate Garland Cooper's (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) Big Ten-record 22. Williams now has 29 on her young career, ranking her third in school history.

Dyer finished 2-for-2 in the game, and continued her strong hitting against Arizona State and Burkhart (35-12). The freshman hit a pair of home runs against the Sun Devils' ace, including a seventh-inning grand slam, in a 5-2 Northwestern win over ASU on Feb. 24.