Feb. 17, 2012

Box Score

LAFAYETTE - After Louisiana Tech rallied from an early five-run deficit to tie the game, Big 10 foe Northwestern scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to pull away for a 10-6 victory in the first day of the Mardi Gras Classic hosted by UL-Lafayette.

Northwestern scored in each of its first three at bats against Tech starter Mel Goff as the Wildcats built an early 5-0 lead over LA Tech. However, the Lady Techsters scratched for a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Goff led the frame off drawing a walk and after an infield single by Kendra Harmon, Amanda Krueger drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Janna Frandrup, who was robbed of an RBI single in the first inning, drove home the first run drawing a walk.

Tech was then robbed of what could have been a bigger inning when Dacia Hale hit a sharp grounder back up the middle that Northwestern pitcher Sammy Albanese snared and turned into a double play for the first two outs of the inning. Krueger then scored from third base on a wild pitch before Tech was finally retired.

After the Wildcats added a run to push the lead to 6-2, the Techsters responded again, scoring four runs on two hits and two NU errors in the bottom of the fourth inning. Allie Geisler singled and one out later, Hailey Winter reached on a throwing error by the Wildcats to put runners on first and third. Pinch runner Charday Wilson then scored on a fielder's choice ground out by Erin Kipp.

Harmon then singled and Krueger walked to load the bases with two outs. Frandrup then drove home her second run of the game when she was hit by a pitch, making the score 6-4 in favor of Northwestern.

A wild pitch plated Harmon and then Krueger scored the tying run when Northwestern catcher Paige Tonz committed a throwing error on the play as the game was tied 6-6.

Erin Kipp came on in relief in the fifth and struck out the side while allowing a leadoff single; however, LA Tech couldn't score in their half of the frame as the game remained tied heading to the sixth.

In the sixth, Northwestern got a bloop double and an infield single to put runners on first and third. After a stolen base put both runners in scoring position, Kristin Scharkey drove them home with a single to give the Wildcats an 8-6 lead. After another run-scoring single made the score 9-6, Frandrup relieved Kipp and got out of the inning unscathed.

NU added a solo run in the seventh on a home run to make the score 10-6. In the bottom of the sixth, Hale singled and Geisler walked, but Tech couldn't push the runs across as the Lady Techsters fell for the third time this year against a Big 10 foe.

Harmon led Tech with two hits while Hale, Meghan Knowles and Geisler each registered one.

Kipp (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 1.0 innings of relief. Goff was not involved in the decision after surrendering six runs - five earned - on 10 hits in 4.0 innings of action.

The Lady Techsters are slated to face UTEP Saturday at 9 a.m. weather-permitting.