You’d never expect it to be Olivia Duehr. In a lineup littered with big bats and consistent .300 hitters, few opposing pitchers pay attention to the sophomore outfielder batting ninth. Yet it was Duehr who broke open Tuesday’s tilt with DePaul University with a two-run, fourth-inning double ripped to the left-center gap. It’s an increasingly common theme for the Wildcats, who used their spark-plug at the bottom of the order to get offense going once again.
"That hit was huge," head coach Kate Drohan said after the game. "I'll tell you, Olivia's a sneaky little nine hitter. I really enjoy her in that spot."
Behind Duehr’s double and another standout performance from sophomore Amy Letourneau, Northwestern (29-18) knocked off cross-city rival DePaul (28-19) 4-2 at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Letourneau notched her 20th win of the season with a dominant outing in the circle, striking out 11 in an eight-hit complete game while adding a two-out home run to deep center in the first inning.
Letourneau ran into some trouble in the beginning of the game, putting two runners on base in the first and third innings. But with imposing speed, she was able to escape unscathed. At the plate, Letourneau’s moonshot in the bottom of the first, her team-best 10th of the year, gave the 'Cats a lead through the first three innings.
DePaul outfielder Megan Coronado cracked the scoreboard for the Blue Devils with a leadoff home run in the fourth, tying things at 1-1. Despite two looking strikeouts for Letourneau, a hit batter and a two-out single ripped by shortstop Allie Braden put DePaul in position to take a lead. After starting the game 2-2, outfielder Samantha Dodd belted a ball to center but right to senior Kristen Sharkley to end the inning.
After freshman pinch runner Fran Strub replaced sophomore Andrea DiPrima and junior Paige Tonz was hit by a pitch, the scene was set for Duehr in the bottom half of the inning. Duehr gave the Wildcats a 3-1 edge, while shortstop Anna Edwards added an insurance run in the fifth with a double that brought home junior Mari Majam.
"I went into that at bat saying, just be aggressive and look for my pitch, because last time I didn't really do that," Duehr said. "It was huge for us."
Entering Tuesday with a record identical to the competitive Wildcats, DePaul wouldn’t go down easy. After Braden singled to left, Dodd to right and pitcher Kristen Verdun walked, designated player Hannah Penna drilled a two-out ball past Edwards and third basewoman Aubrie May to tighten things up at 4-2 and leave the bases loaded.
Coronado, the Blue Devil who kicked off the offense with a homer, battled Letourneau for ten pitches in a tense at-bat before chasing strike three. With no one in the bullpen for Northwestern, the Wildcats' trust in Letourneau never waivered.
"I think we worked our pitch selection really well," Drohan said. "At that position, it's her game. She's either going to take care of business or not."
Letourneau chose the former, notching a big win for Northwestern in its final home game of the season. The Wildcats head to Ann Arbor for a three-game series with Michigan starting Friday before playing in the Big Ten Tournament.