March 9, 2013
CLEARWATER, Fla. – A leadoff homer in the ninth propelled Northwestern (13-9) to a 3-1 win over South Carolina (13-5) in the first game of Saturday’s action at the USF Under Armour Showcase at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
The teams both stranded a runner in the eighth inning with the international tiebreak rule in effect. The ninth, however, saw Marisa Bast drive the first pitch of the frame out to left, scoring the runner Mari Majam as well and handing the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.
Northwestern took a 1-0 lead in the second when pitcher Amy Letourneau hit the first pitch of the inning out to center. The score stayed that way until senior catcher Shelby Gonzales drove a 1-1 pitch in the fifth over the left-field wall, tying the game at 1. For Gonzales, it was her second homer of the year.
The Gamecocks stranded two runners in both the seventh and the ninth. With one down in the seventh, senior shortstop Samie Garcia and freshman left fielder Alaynie Page drew walks, but Letourneau got a fly out to shallow center and a strikeout to force extra innings. In the ninth, junior Brooke Barnhill ran at second to start the inning, and sophomore Olivia Lawrence drew a walk with one down. But Letourneau induced a fly ball before getting her 14th strikeout of the game to end it.
Letourneau (8-5) tossed 198 pitches in the complete-game win, walking six and giving up four hits. Gamecock freshman Katie Marks (4-2) took the loss, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits without a walk. She struck out a career-high nine.
Page had a double for South Carolina, the only other extra-base hit besides Gonzales’ homer. Garcia walked twice, one of five Gamecocks to draw free passes in the game, and Garcia also stole two bases as well as junior third baseman Codee Yeske. Letourneau went 2-for-4 with the homer and a double, while Kristen Scharkey went 2-for-2 with a stolen base for Northwestern.
