Lauren Schwendimann must have slept well last night. She started her Thursday by pitching a four-hit complete game shutout. And to top it off, she did what most pitchers don’t even dream about: She hit a grand slam.
The Wildcats’ road to the postseason went through Chicago, where the Northwestern softball team (24-16) met Illinois-Chicago (34-20). Even though it was a nonconference matchup, the Cats came in needing to rebound from two losses at Wisconsin on Sunday. They did just that, sweeping the double-header.
In Game 1, a single in the third inning by senior Gretchen Barnes gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. The game remained deadlocked until the fifth inning when Barnes came up again with the bases loaded. She struck out swinging.
So Schwendimann stepped in the box with one out. She already was having a career day, having given up only two hits and striking out seven batters. One massive swing broke the game open.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a ball leave the park faster,” NU coach Kate Drohan said. “It was gone.”
Only two more batters reached base against Schwendimann, who also sat down five more for a total of 12 strikeouts.
“Staying on track with the shutout was important, but the grand slam was more fun,” she said.
In the nightcap the Cats dominated with solid play from pitcher Brie Brown and shortstop Carri Leto. The Cats scored nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings to get the win via the slaughter rule.
Brown only gave up seven hits and contributed to her cause in the fifth inning with her first career hit.
“It was just a ground ball up the middle, but I was a little nervous,” the junior said.
Leto, the Cats’ top hitter, played a great defensive game and was 2-for-3 with one RBI. She was also hit in the thigh by a pitch from Flames hurler Amanda Ritchie.
This weekend will be crucial for NU when No. 22 Iowa (32-16, 10-4 Big Ten) comes to Evanston for a 3 p.m game Saturday and a noon Sunday matchup. The Cats currently stand at fifth in the Big Ten with a 10-7 conference mark, and only the top six teams making it to the league tournament.
Two wins won’t come easy. The Hawkeyes boast the talent of 2001 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Kristi Hanks, who has 17 wins and 157 strikeouts this season. Coupled with the Hawkeyes’ aggressive style of play and strong base running, NU will need to be on top of its game.
“It was important that we got these two wins,” Leto said. “It helped us get back in the groove of winning. We kinda joked about it, but this weekend we need to eat and breathe Iowa.”
