POWAY, Calif. – Gretchen Barnes recorded two home runs and five RBIs while leading Northwestern to an 8-1 victory over the Sacramento State softball team Saturday afternoon at the Campbell/Cartier Classic. Barnes finished 3-for-5 as the Wildcats pounded out eight runs and 11 hits.Northwestern had seven of nine starters record at least one hit while improving to 4-5. Sacramento State, which held a brief 1-0 lead in the third inning, dropped to 4-8. After Hornet starter Jillian Bivert held Northwestern scoreless through the first three innings, the Wildcats broke out for two runs in the fourth inning, four more in the fifth and two in the seventh.
Bivert and Cathy Coupar each recorded two hits for the Hornets while freshman Erin Coyne extended her hitting streak to five games with a third-inning double.
The Hornets opened the scoring in the third inning after Coyne doubled in Coupar, who led off the inning with a single. Northwestern responded with two runs in the fourth on a two-run homer by Barnes. The Wildcats added four more in the fifth, highlighted by a three-run homer from Barnes.
Northwestern notched two more runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Robyn Pettinger. Lauren Schwendimann (4-1) was the winning pitcher, allowing one run and seven hits in seven innings. Bivert (1-5) picked up the loss, allowing eight runs and 11 hits in seven innings.
The Hornets have now dropped three-straight games while allowing 29 runs over their last four contests.
Sacramento State dropped to 1-3 at the Campbell/Cartier and close out the tournament tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 17) against Loyola Marymount.
