Feb. 17, 2006
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - In the nightcap of Friday's Louisville Slugger Desert Classic action at Eller Media Stadium, #12/14 Northwestern (5-2) came back from a 3-2 deficit to defeat UNLV (4-3) on an apparent grand slam in the top of the seventh inning. Sheila McCorkle cranked a home run to left field that officially goes down as a single and then an out, since in her excitement she overran her teammate at first base.
The Rebels held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 prior to McCorkle's late inning heroics. The Wildcats never led until they took the lead at 5-3.
UNLV jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with help from doubles by Shannon Crisp and Brittany Freight and a passed ball. Crisp led the inning off with a shot off the left center fence. Freight followed suit with a high fly that hit the fence in center. Jaci Hull walked to load the bases. Following back-to-back strikeouts, a passed ball by NU's Jamie Dotson allowed for Crisp to score the games first run.
The one run lead was pushed to two on a two-out solo home run by Hull in the fourth. The home run was the second of the season for the freshman.
NU put its first run across in the fifth on a solo shot to left by Garland Cooper and evened things up on a wild pitch in the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, a single back to NU's Courtnay Foster in the circle with runners on second and first gave the Rebels its second lead of the game. Brittany Bolinger singled to Foster, but in her attempt to throw her out at first, she overthrew her teammate and allowed Freight to come in from second.
In the seventh, NU loaded the bases on a single, walk and a hit by pitch with one out. McCorkle came up and took Crisp's (2-1) offering over the fence. Kristen Amegin was en route to second base, but held up thinking that McCorkle's home run was going to be caught, but instead the ball cleared the fence and McCorkle overran her teammate.
Christie Robinson got the start for UNLV and went 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. She walked one and struck out six.
Foster (4-1) notched her fourth victory in going the distance. She surrendered eight hits and five walks, but struck out nine in the win.
Next up for the Rebels are two games against UC Davis and Notre Dame, with the Aggies scheduled for a 1:30pm start time and the Irish to follow shortly thereafter.
