Arizona Takes First Game of WCWS Title Series, 8-0
June 5, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY -- In the first game of the 2006 NCAA Women's College World Series best two-of-three championship Monday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, No. 2 seed Arizona took advantage of a quartet of Northwestern miscues to take a 1-0 lead in the series, 8-0. The loss was NU's first of the WCWS after it blew through the bracket play with a 3-0 record. Entering the contest, Northwestern (50-14) had been the lone unbeaten in Oklahoma City. The two squads of Wildcats meet in game two of the series at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday night, June 6, on ESPN2 and WNUR 89.3 FM. A Northwestern win in that game would force a third and final game in the 2006 WCWS at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday night. Arizona scored the first runs of the game in the top of the third. Two slap singles and a dink shot over the infield coupled with a pair of Northwestern errors led to a 3-0 Arizona lead. A double with two runners on then gave UA a 5-0 lead, with three of those runs being unearned. Two of the runs were charged to NU starter Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise), both of which were earned. Senior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) entered the circle in relief of Canney after the first three batters on the inning reached on two singles and a fielder's choice. Arizona added another run in the top of the fourth after another Northwestern error put runners on second and third with no outs. A sacrifice fly brought home another unearned run at third to make the score 6-0.
Senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) earned Northwestern's first hit of the game in the fifth inning with a sharp single into left. Freshman Ann Schraufnagel (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) replaced Dotson at first, but no runs came of the base knock.
Arizona added the game's final runs on solo homers in the seventh. Northwestern put its first two runners of the seventh on base after two Arizona errors. Freshman Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) reached on an error but was thrown out trying to take an extra base. Junior Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) also reached by error, but no runs were scored. Canney (26-8) took the loss after pitching two-plus innings and surrendering two earned runs on three hits with one walk and a K. Foster threw the final five innings, allowing six runs -- just two earned -- on five hits and two walks with three whiffs. |
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