May 2, 2006

Box Score

DeKALB, IL -- With just five games left in the season, Northern Illinois University softball played its last non-conference game of the regular season when they met up with Illinois State University. Unfortunately for the Huskies, the Redbirds brought the big bats and out hit the Huskies 11-3 in the 7-0 final.

ISU (34-12) didn't take long to get the offense started as they put tow runs on the board in the first inning, when third baseman Tricia Gaither led off the game with a single and then scored on the next hit, a double off the bat of centerfielder Randi Patton.

The Redbirds added two more runs in the third where they had a three-hit inning. ISU posted a single fun in the frouth before scoring two more in the fifth. Despite giving up 11 hits, Taryn Hagemann's (Rochelle, IL/Rochelle) effort improved as the evening went on. The sophomore falls to 6-14 on the season. In a relief effort, Paige Granath (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) threw two innings of hitless softball.

"I was hitting my spots," said Hagemann. "They were just really aggressive hitters at the plate."

The Huskies only had three hits on the day, all singles by designated player Kelly Park (North Aurora, IL/West Aurora), catcher Randi Kreiter (Deerfield, IL/Deerfield) and rightfielder Ashley Clement (Moline, IL/Moline).

"Defensively, I don't think it was one of our better days," said head coach Donna Martin. "We didn't play defene as sharply as we need to. They (Illinois State) also got a lot of two-out hits, a lot of bloop his, so it was just a good day for them."

The Huskies (20-24, 8-10 MAC) return to action in the final four games of Mid-American Conference play this weekend (May 5-7). NIU will face University of Toledo in a Friday (May 5) doubleheader at 1 p.m. in DeKalb before meeting Bowling Green State University in single games on Saturday and Sunday.