The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Northwestern
No. 25 Softball falls to No. 2 Northwestern, 5-4
02.24.2008 | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- The No. 25 Texas Softball team leapt out to an early lead and senior hurler Meagan Denny put together a complete game 11-strikeout effort, but it was not enough as a seventh-inning rally by No. 2 Northwestern lifted the Wildcats past the Longhorns, 5-4 at the Palm Springs Classic.
Denny (6-1) suffered her first loss of the season for Texas (7-3-1), tossing 7.0 innings, scattering seven hits and allowing five runs. Wildcats' reliever Lauren Delaney (6-1) threw 3.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief for NU en route to earning the victory.
The Longhorns claimed a 1-0 edge in the second, using a sacrifice fly by junior second baseman Kelly Melone to score sophomore designated player Tallie Thrasher who started the rally with a double. Sophomore shortstop Loryn Johnson extended the lead in the fourth, hammering her third home run in as many games to give UT a 2-0 lead. The Horns added two more runs in the frame on an RBI single by freshman Shelby Savony and an RBI bunt fielder's choice by junior Crystal Saenz.
Northwestern tallied three runs of its own in the fourth on Kelly Dyer's three-run home run to right centerfield. The Wildcats went on to even the tally at four in the fifth on a solo home run off the bat of designated player Michelle Batts.
Texas battled back in the seventh, as junior third baseman Crystal Saenz led off the inning with a double to right centerfield, but three straight outs left Saenz stranded at third base.
In the bottom of the frame, Northwestern's Jordan Wheeler drew a leadoff walk, but was erased when Darcy Sengewald reached on a fielder's choice. Tammy Williams took a base when she was hit by a Denny offering and Sengewald moved to third on a wild pitch. Then with one out and runners at the corners, Nicole Pauly hit a deep fly ball to right centerfield, allowing Sengewald to tag at third and plate the game-winning tally.
Texas returns to action at 1 p.m. Central on Sunday, Feb. 24 against No. 12 Stanford at the Palm Springs Classic.
