Saturday, February 20
Chapel Hill, N.C.
9:30 a.m. CT/10:30 a.m. ET
Northwestern
4
vs
3
Boston College
Winegarner, Wildcats Retire Eagles, 4-3
2/20/2016 12:02:00 PM | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Northwestern freshman Kaley Winegarner tossed a complete-game three-hitter Saturday against Boston College, retiring the final 13 batters she faced in order to lead the Wildcats to a 4-3 victory over the Eagles.
NU now is 4-3 on the season with its win while Boston College falls to 3-5 overall. Northwestern's B1G/ACC Challenge continues today with a rematch against North Carolina scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET.
The contest began inauspiciously for Winegarner and the Northwestern defense when the first batter to the plate reached via an error. A series of unfortunate events punctuated by a two-out double later in the inning gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead on a trio of unearned runs.
The Wildcats offense picked up their D, storming back in the bottom of the first. Sabrina Rabin led things off as Sabrina Rabin does, reaching base and then stealing second. Senior Andrea Filler followed with a booming double to center to quickly cut the deficit to 3-1. One out later, senior Amy Letourneau crushed a two-run home run to left field to tie the score. Letourneau's blast was her second of the season and the 31st of her career.
Sophomore Brooke Marquez drew a four-pitch walk after the Letourneau dinger, leading Boston College to say enough for starting pitcher Kendra Friedt after one-third of an inning. Jessica Dreswick entered the circle in relief and calmed the waters to keep the contest tied.
After Winegarner stranded a pair of Eagles in scoring position in the top of the third, the Wildcats took the lead in the bottom half. With two outs, Marquez singled up the middle and junior Anna Petersen followed with a single of her own to center. Marquez raced around to third base, then scored when the relay back in was botched, giving NU a 4-3 edge.
Northwestern had a couple of chances to add to that lead, most notably with runners at second and third and one out in the fifth following a Marquez double, but each time Boston College wiggled out of it.
One run turned out to be all Winegarner needed, however, because the freshman was lights out after the third. In retiring the side in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, Winegarner scattered harmless fly balls and grounders all over the field, and the NU defense picked up the pace from its woes earlier in the game.
Winegarner (1-0) earned the first win of her college career, allowing three runs (none earned) on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts, working around a trio of Wildcats' errors.
Marquez reached base safely in every plate appearance Saturday, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and a run scored. Letourneau drove in two for the Wildcats.