All year, head coach Kate Drohan and sophomore star Amy Letourneau have preached the importance of sound, confident defense. It wasn't there Friday.
Behind three costly errors, Northwestern fell 3-0 to Wisconsin in the quarter final of the Big Ten softball tournament at Nebraska's Bowlin Stadium. Letourneau went for another complete game after pacing the 'Cats past Indiana Thursday, but the offense was held scoreless for just the third time this season.
Letourneau was able to escape unscathed despite allowing leadoff walks in the game's first two innings. But in the third, junior third basewoman Marissa Bast's throwing error put Badger senior Kendall Grimm on base and kept Wisconsin's inning alive. A subsequent single from senior Whitney Massey put Grimm on third, and two batters later, Grimm scored on a passed ball from Letourneau.
It was déjà vu in the fourth, where another two-out error put the Badgers in business. This time it was a throwing error from Letourneau, allowing junior Stephanie Peace to score and giving Wisconsin a 2-0 lead. Peace had walked earlier in the inning and stole second base.
Northwestern nearly responded in the top of the fifth inning, where freshman Brianna LeBeau ripped a one-out single down the right field line. A sacrifice bunt and a hit batswoman put LeBeau on third, but junior Mari Majam grounded out to the pitcher to leave the Wildcats off the scoreboard.
Letourneau struck out the side in the bottom of the inning, giving the Wildcats a fighting chance heading to the top of the sixth. But after a leadoff walk from Marissa Bast, the 'Cats couldn't connect, making three straight outs that included a strikeout from sophomore shortstop Anna Edwards.
The bottom of the sixth began with another throwing error from Letourneau, putting sophomore Maria Van Abel on second. Another walk drawn by Peace and a single from freshman Ashely Van Zeeland loaded the bases, and Letourneau then walked junior Mary Massei for her third unearned run of the afternoon.
Singles from LeBeau and senior Kristin Sharkley kept things interesting in the seventh, but with two outs, Mari Majam struck out swinging, ending the game and Northwestern's Big Ten season. The 'Cats will wait to hear their fate at the NCAA Tourney Sunday, with an announcement special on ESPNU scheduled for 9 p.m.