May 13, 2006

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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Playing in the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the first time since 2003, No. 1-seeded Northwestern fell to the No. 2 seed Michigan, 6-0, Saturday afternoon at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

Northwestern, ranked 11th in the nation, falls to 42-12 with the loss, while No. 13 Michigan improves to 40-13.

The game ended a nation-best 15-game home winning streak for Northwestern dating back to last season, and was the Wildcats' first loss to the Wolverines in Big Ten Tournament play. NU had won all three previous meetings.

Michigan put the game's first scoring threat together in the bottom of the third inning, loading the bases after two singles and a Wildcat error with one out in the frame. A bases-loaded walk to catcher Becky Marx gave Michigan the game's first lead. A single to center extended the Wolverine advantage to two, 2-0. Both runs were unearned.

Northwestern immediately put its first rally of the game together, with freshman Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) and senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) hitting singles to put a pair of runners on in the top of the fourth. No runs would come of the situation, however.

In the bottom of the fifth, Michigan again threatened, getting runners on first and third with one out. Williams then made a pair of great plays to end the inning, first keeping a tricky grounder in front of her to hold the runner at third and get an out at first before sprinting over to a popup on the third-base line and making a basket catch to keep the Wolverines scoreless in the frame.

Michigan added another four more unearned runs in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead.

Canney (21-6) took the loss despite allowing no earned runs. She gave up eight hits and struck out eight in 5.2 innings of work. Senior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) earned the final out of the game for the Wildcats.

Foster, Williams and sophomore third-baseman Darcy Sengewald (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East) were named to the All-Tournament team for Northwestern.

Northwestern now awaits the NCAA selection show airing at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, May 14 on ESPNews to find out its NCAA Tournament regional fate.

2006 Big Ten All-Tournament Team

C: Becky Marx, Michigan
1B: Samantha Findlay, Michigan
2B: Tiffany Haas, Michigan
3B: Darcy Sengewald, Northwestern
SS: Tammy Williams, Northwestern
OF: Rebekah Milian, Michigan
OF: Megan Schwab, Ohio State
OF: Brittany Vanderink, Ohio State
DP: Tiffany Worthy, Michigan
UT: Mariangee Bogado, Indiana
P: Courtnay Foster, Northwestern
P: Jennie Ritter, Michigan

MVP: Jennie Ritter, Michigan