Losing is never fun. For No. 11 Northwestern, the results in Champaign were especially difficult to swallow.
The Wildcats hadn’t lost consecutive Big Ten games in over three years. That’s exactly what they did this weekend.
In a game that included three lead changes, the Cats fell 10-8 on Saturday. On Sunday, the Illini triumphed 9-8, and to make matters worse, both games were won on walk-off home runs.
Despite the unfamiliar result, the offense didn’t do anything different than it has the rest of the season, continuing its consistent production with 16 runs and 18 hits over the two-game stretch.
“I think this weekend our team showed a lot of fight,” senior shortstop Tammy Williams said. “That’s all you can ask from the team – just to fight and compete with that other team.”
Despite its offensive prowess, NU’s pitching and defense proved decisive in both games.
In the first game, junior Lauren Delaney gave up 12 walks and eight earned runs in five innings. In the sixth inning, Drohan pulled Delaney in favor of sophomore Jessica Smith. While Smith pitched a scoreless sixth inning, she ran into trouble in the decisive seventh.
After an Illini runner reached base on an error by junior infielder Nicole Pauly, designated player Katrina Ross won the game for Illinois (26-14, 9-6 Big Ten) with her sixth home run of the season.
Offensively, senior catcher Erin Dyer led NU (28-11, 12-4) in the first game, going 2-for-3 with five runs batted-in and a home run.
While the Cats’ defense hampered them in the first game, it helped them hang close in the second game.
“I think there were moments that our defense made some huge plays,” Drohan said.
In the bottom of the second inning, Williams made a diving stop and a barehanded throw to get NU out of the frame.
Two innings later, Williams made another diving catch to help Smith get out of the inning.
In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Smith surrendered a single that scored the game-tying run, but sophomore right fielder Kelly Quinn nailed a runner at home, not allowing the Illini to take the lead.
“It really helps out a lot,” Smith said of the defense. “It’s a great feeling to know that your defense can make those kinds of plays.”
However, it was the pitching that decided the game. After NU went down in order in the seventh, Illinois senior catcher Lana Armstrong homered off Smith to complete the series sweep.
In the second game, freshman Adrienne Monka launched her team-leading 17th home run of the season en route to a four RBI performance. Monka finished the weekend 4-for-7 with five runs batted in.
The Cats will return to the friendly confines of Sharon J. Drysdale Field on Tuesday for their final homestand of the year, beginning with local rival DePaul. NU currently holds a 9-0 record at home, and will look to cap its regular season on a strong note.
“I think we’re just going to keep focusing on working together,” Smith said. “Just continuing to compete on our level.”
