By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
Illinois State pitcher Shannon Nicholson didn’t have to face the best hitters in the Northwestern lineup protecting a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Regional game in Evanston.
But even when its best hitters aren’t at the plate, NU’s lineup is dangerous.
Senior Jessica Miller reached base on an error with one out. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kelly Dyer.
Then, junior Darcy Sengewald, the ninth batter in the lineup, singled to right field, scoring Miller, tying the game and brining up the top of the order.
The No. 2 seed Wildcats grabbed one more run in the inning, chasing Nicholson out of the game and taking the lead for good.
“The thing that I can tell you about the bottom of the lineup is they understand the game,” coach Kate Drohan said. “They know how to generate offense. They understand how to turn the lineup over so we can get our top hitters up again. They’ve been really instrumental in extending innings for us this year.”
NU sits two wins away from reaching its second consecutive Women’s College World Series.
Standing in its way is South Carolina. The Cats (48-11) and Gamecocks (38-24) will square off in a two-out-of-three games series on Friday and Saturday in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional in Evanston.
The strong play from senior pitcher Eileen Canney and the first four hitters in the lineup – senior Katie Logan, sophomore Tammy Williams, senior Garland Cooper and freshman Nicole Pauly – have gotten NU to this point.
But as impressive as the statistics are for the first four hitters – a combined .377 batting average and 153 RBIs – the rest of the lineup, which hits .211 and has 112 RBIs, still provides a challenge for opponents despite being statistically the weakest part of the team.
This past weekend during the regional round, despite a .139 batting average from their last five hitters, the Cats were able to get back to the top of the order quickly and put runners on the bases for their top hitters.
NU has been able to turn the lineup over quickly all season by using timely hitting, sacrifice bunts and walks to get on base, extending innings for its best hitters.
“I think that’s the key is to stay in the team mindset,” Sengewald said. “It’s not about personal statistics right now. We’re worrying about wins and losses right now. Whatever you can do to help the team whether it’s advancing a runner or a sacrifice bunt or something like that where it might not help your stats, but it’s still helping the team.”
But what makes the end of NU’s lineup truly dangerous is its ability to produce big runs with the long ball.
Sophomore catcher Erin Dyer has hit 11 home runs, and designated player Jessica Rigas has hit nine. Miller, Sengewald and freshman left fielder Kelly Dyer have also hit game-deciding home runs this season and in their careers.
Drohan said opposing coaches have told her how difficult her lineup is because of their ability to hit home runs.
A strong performance from the end of the lineup helps take pressure off the Cats’ big hitters and will be important if they are to advance further in the tournament.
“It’s important that they do their job,” Pauly said. “A lot of pressure is taken off of me because if I don’t get the job done someone else down the line will.”
Reach Philip Rossman-Reich at [email protected].
