Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 13 Northwestern exploded for 10 runs in an eight-hit, three-homer fourth inning to run-rule Southern Utah, 12-4 (5), Saturday evening at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.

Northwestern's victory improves its record to 5-3 on the season, while Southern Utah drops to 2-8 with its loss.

The Thunderbirds took the first lead of the game after a leadoff walk and a two-run home run to start the top of the second inning. Starting pitcher Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) recovered to strike out the next three batters in a row to end the inning.

Northwestern tied the game in the bottom of the third. Senior Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) reached base as the leadoff batter after being hit by a pitch, then moved to second when Robin Thompson (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) singled to third. A hard single off the pitcher by Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) loaded the bases with no outs.

Sophomore Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) followed with a soaring flyout to the base of the fence in left to move every runner up a base and push Williams across the plate. Junior Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) did the exact same thing to center, scoring Thompson to knot the game, 2-2, before the inning ended.

Southern Utah came right back in the top of the fourth, turning a two-out walk into a 4-2 lead when the next batter hit the Thunderbirds' second homer of the game.

Northwestern immediately got its serious rally on, not only taking back the lead but pushing the game into run-rule territory with a 10-run fourth. Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) drew a leadoff walk, then was replaced at first by pinch runner Aly Euler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Dyer then was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no outs. Jordan Wheeler (Garden Grove, Calif./Los Alamitos) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first skipped past the bag for an error, then bounded by the right fielder backing up the play to allow both Euler and Dyer to score and Wheeler to move to third.

A double by Williams scored Wheeler, then a Pauly double plated Williams to give Northwestern a 6-4 lead with one down in the frame. Batts was next at the plate and next at first after drawing a walk before Haug stroked a double off the fence in left to score Pauly and move Batts to third. Center fielder and flex player in the lineup Ashley Lafever (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) came in to run for Haug at second.

Senior Erin Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) then stepped to the plate and drove in half of Las Vegas with a mammoth shot to left center, making the Wildcats' lead six, 10-4. Monka, who re-entered the game after being pinch run for earlier in the inning, made it back-to-back 'Cat jacks and an 11-4 score. The hit also chased Southern Utah starter Kristina Brooks (2-8) in favor of Katie Kearns in the circle.

Dyer's home run was her third of the season and the 32nd of her career. Monka's blast was her third of the year and third of the tournament. Not to be left out, senior Jessica Rigas (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) came in to pinch hit with two outs and creamed her own home run to center to give the Wildcats a 10-spot in the inning and a 12-4 lead.

Northwestern continued to get hits in the inning, with Williams and pinch hitter Olivia Zolke (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) both singling before the frame ended. Zolke's hit was the first of her career.

Kelly Dyer (1-0) went the distance to earn her first collegiate win in the circle. She allowed four runs on two hits and four walks while fanning six.

Williams and Pauly both went 2-for-3 in the game, with Williams scoring twice. Dyer drove in three and Haug knocked in a pair.

Northwestern returns to action at 3:30 p.m. CT tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 15, against Cal State Fullerton in the Wildcats' Louisville Slugger Desert Classic finale.

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