Softball Survives NCAA Regional Opener
May 18, 2000
Box Score
NORMAN, Okla. - Northwestern, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987, dropped its opening game to No. 13 Oregon State, 1-0, in ten innings in Norman, Okla.
The game opened with both teams squandering scoring opportunities. Brett Nakabayashi (Irvine, Calif.) opened the game with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Mikie Chambers (Country Club Hills, Ill.). However, Erin Jancic (Houston, Texas) and Brooke Siebel (Brentwood, Tenn.) grounded out to end the threat. Oregon State got a leadoff double to start the bottom of the first but ended up stranding runners at the corners. After the first three innings, in which each team left five on base, both pitchers began to settle in. Lauren Schwendimann (Tustin, Calif.) allowed a single and a walk over the next four innings as the teams traded empty frames. Both hurlers were the beneficiary of excellent defense. An OSU threat was extinguished in the sixth by an unassisted double play from Chambers, and Beaver third baseman Parisa Plant robbed Jancic of extra bases with a diving stab on the third base line. Oregon State finally broke through in the tenth. An infield single started the inning and a NU error on a bunt attempt put runners on first and second for Brynnen Guthrie, who lined a 1-0 pitch into the left-centerfield gap to score the winning run.
