April 23, 2006
Box Score
DeKalb, IL - With the wind blowing out to right field, the conditions were perfect for a slugfest, but instead, the Northern Illinois University softball team edged out a 4-3 victory over University at Buffalo in a back-and-forth at the last minute contest.
As usual, NIU (18-20, 6-8 MAC) was quick to score, and on this occasion, it was in the second inning. With two outs in the inning, second baseman Bailey Ouellette (Beaverton, OR/Beaverton) singled to right field and then advanced to third on a two-base error by the Buffalo rightfielder. A follow-up base hit by first baseman Ellen Stoddard (Rolling Meadows, IL/Palatine Fremd) gave the junior an RBI and NIU a 1-0 lead.
The one-run ball game lasted into the fifth inning until the Bulls (11-35, 2-12 MAC) took a 2-1 lead. Third baseman Kerry Cafazzo reached base after being hit by a pitch. A single by rightfielder Mary Russell and a sacrifice bunt by leftfielder Marcy Hansen gave the Buffalo runners on second and third. A shallow fly ball to left off the bat of Sophie Barstad wasn't deep enough to score the tagging Cafazzo. But with two outs, the Bulls managed two runs after a Huskie throwing error. The batter on the play, Laura Kor, was thrown out at second base to end the inning, but the damage was done as UB took the 2-1 lead.
It wasn't long, the next Huskie at-bat, in fact, that NIU tied the game at two. Designated player Randi Kreiter (Deerifleld, IL/Deerfield) led off the inning with a line shot to centerfield. Centerfielder Kelly Park (North Aurora, IL/West Aurora) then drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Shortstop Krista McPherson (Beecher, IL/Beecher) grounded out to the pitcher, but advanced pinch runner Jenna Mitchell (Matteson, IL/Rich South) and Park to third and second, respectively. A two RBI single by Kelly Drozd (Lockport, IL/Lockport) scored Mitchell and the game was locked at two.
An inning later, in the sixth, the Huskies still weren't done scoring. Ouellette led off the Huskie half of the inning with a walk, and Stoddard followed with a single. Although the next two Huskie hitters were retired, Park had the clutch hit of the day, a game-winning double to deep centerfield to score both Ouellette and Stoddard and to give NIU the 4-2 advantage.
"Kelly Park, obviously had the clutch hit, but there were a lot of people who stepped up today," said head coach Donna Martin. "After we gave up two runs, Randi stepped up leading off with a single to get us right back on track."
Just to make things interesting, UB's Russell had a solo shot to left in the top of the seventh, but the Huskies managed to hang on to the one-run lead as the contest ended in a 4-3 tally.
NIU pitcher Taryn Hagemann (Rochelle, IL/Rochelle) started the game and threw five innings giving up two runs, both unearned, on six hits. In a relief effort, Lindsey LaChiana (Oak Lawn, IL/Richards) earned the win, entering the game in the sixth inning. The senior gave up only one hit, the homerun in seventh, and now stands 9-6 on the season.
"Winning three out of four this weekend was huge," added Martin. "Hopefully we've got some good momentum to sustain us for a long weekend on the road."
NIU returns to action on Tuesday (April 25) in Chicago, IL against the DePaul University in a 5 p.m. doubleheader before traveling to at University of Akron and Ohio University for another MAC weekend.
