April 16, 2006

Box Score

Kalamazoo, MI - Capitalizing on six walks and two Northern Illinois University errors, Western Michigan University's softball team swept the Huskies, 8-2 in Mid-American Conference play on Sunday (April 16) in Kalamzoo, MI.

NIU (15-18, 3-7 MAC) had some ground to make up early in the contest as the Broncos (21-10, 9-1 MAC) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Two innings later, the first two WMU hitters walked, then a sacrifice bunt and a double later, the Broncos had a 4-0 lead.

The Huskies scored their first run of the two-game series when catcher Elyse Jamrozy (Brookfield, IL/Riverside-Brookfield) led off the fifth inning with a double to rightfield. Centerfelder Kelly Park (North Aurora, IL/West Aurora) followed up with a single to center, giving NIU runners on first and third. A fielder's choice by shortstop Krista McPherson (Beecher, IL/Beecher) scored Jamrozy, and the Huskies put a run on the board.

Just as the Huskies were making some headway, the Broncos put another run on the board in their half of the fifth inning to gain the 5-1 edge. In the bottom of the sixth, WMU's Amanda Heckaman, who recorded seven RBI on the day, sealed the deal for the Broncos by blasting a three-run shot to put Western Michigan up by seven.

NIU made a last ditch effort in the top of the seventh as Park led off the inning with her third single of the day. Advancing to second on a McPherson groundout, Park later reached, on a base hit by Kelly Drozd (Lockport, IL/Lockport) and finally scored the second Huskie run on a passed ball to end the game in an 8-2 tally.

With six hits on the day, the Huskies stranded nine runners. "We had ample opportunities to score," said head coach Donna Martin. "We need to have better at-bats with runners on base."

The entire Huskie pitching staff saw action today, but it was pitcher Paige Granath (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) who suffered her third loss of the year as she pitched two and one-third innings, giving up four runs, three of them earned, on four hits. Taryn Hagemann (Rochelle, IL/Rochelle) came in relief of Granath in the third inning with one out, and threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs, two of them earned, on five hits and four walks. Finally Lindsey LaChiana (Oak Lawn, IL/Richards) got in an inning of work and gave up one run on one hit, the Heckaman homerun, in the sixth.

"We didn't have a very good team effort as far as defense and pitching go," added Martin. "They (Western Michigan) capitalized on our mistakes and we didn't come through when we had the opportunities."

The Huskies return to action in Iowa City, IA on Wednesday (Apr. 19) against the University of Iowa at 5 p.m.