By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
CHICAGO – For the second straight game, Northwestern needed seventh-inning dramatics to tie or win the game.
And for the second straight game, the Wildcats came up one run short.
With one out against Loyola on Tuesday, senior center fielder Katie Logan laid down a perfect bunt that stopped a quarter of the way up the third-base line to give the Cats’ best hitters – sophomore Tammy Williams and senior Garland Cooper – a chance to drive her in.
Williams delivered, singling into right field. But the speedy Logan tried to test the arm of Loyola’s freshman left fielder Ellen Kresl and ran for third. Freshman Angie Funston, who plays third base, easily tagged Logan out.
“It was just a mistake,” Logan said. “I put my head up and I thought I was supposed to be going. Clearly that was a mistake and it cost us.”
Then, sophomore pitcher Krista Crosson struck out Cooper to end the game and complete the 3-2 upset against No. 7 NU.
Freshman pitcher Lauren Delaney lost her second straight game after winning the first 15 decisions of her college career. Delaney allowed three runs on three hits and struck out eight.
The Ramblers (12-14) recorded all of their runs and hits in the first two innings. After that Delaney took control.
She struck out two batters following senior center fielder Nora Schober’s solo home run in the third inning, the final hit of the game for Loyola. Delaney struck out the side twice and sent the Ramblers down in order in every inning after the third.
“I think we’ve just got to focus … on playing our hardest at the beginning of the game,” Delaney said. “I think I finally got my focus (after the home run), I’m in the game now.”
But Delaney struggled at the beginning of the game. She hit the first batter she faced and gave up a single before recording her first out. The runners advanced into scoring position on a fielder’s choice.
She then threw a wild pitch and gave up another single to allow two runs before starting a double play on a grounder back to the mound.
But for the second straight game, the Cats (33-10) dug themselves too deep a hole.
In the third, senior right fielder Jessica Miller led off with a double. After a sacrifice bunt, junior Darcy Sengewald brought her home on a single. Then Logan singled and Williams doubled to score Sengewald, pulling NU to within one.
The Cats couldn’t convert when the Ramblers walked Cooper to load the bases. Freshman Nicole Pauly grounded to third base, allowing Loyola to get the fielder’s choice at home, and sophomore catcher Erin Dyer struck out to end the inning.
NU left three runners on base, missing an opportunity to tie the game. Against Penn State on Sunday, the Cats left the bases loaded twice in trying to climb out of a 6-1 deficit.
“We need to play our game all the way through,” Logan said. “Right now, we’ve been a little inconsistent some innings not playing our best ball. If we play a full game to our ability, no one out there can beat us. But we have yet really to do that. “
Logan and Williams went 2 for 4, with Williams adding an RBI. Sengewald went 1 for 3 with an RBI. Cooper, who set NU’s single-season home run record this year, went 0 for 3 and struck out twice.
“I think that I’m counting on this group to be mature and to get stronger from this and to learn from this and to make adjustments based on this,” coach Kate Drohan said. “I think it will all be based on a maturity level.”
Reach Philip Rossman-Reich at [email protected].
