May 7, 2006
Box Score
DeKALB, IL - As the old adage says, pitching is the name of the game. Northern Illinois University softball lost to Bowling Green State University in a game that saw the second grand slam in as many games and only four Huskie hits in the 10-1 score that spoiled Senior Day.
NIU (22-25, 10-12 MAC)got a quick start in the first inning when shortstop Krista McPherson (Beecher, IL/Beecher) recorded the first Huskie hit of the day, a single to rightfield. The speedy McPherson was called safe at second on a fielder's choice by Kelly Drozd (Lockport, IL/Lockport). Both Huskies advanced a base on a wild pitch by Falcon pitcher Emily Gouge. With runners on second and third, Michelle Nendza (Palos Park, IL/Lemont Mt. Assisi) shallow fly ball where BG rightfiedler Ashley Zirkle made a shoestring catch. But the fly was good for a sacrifice effort and the RBI.
That was all the Huskie scoring on the day in a game where Bowling Green's five-run third inning put NIU in a hole they couldn't get out of. After retiring the first Falcon batter, NIU pitcher Paige Granath (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) faced shortstop Dawnjene DeLong who doubled to leftfield. A Huskie error and then a fielder's choice loaded the bases for BG's Allison Vallas who singled to center to tie the game at one. With the bases loaded, Zirkle blasted a grand slam to leftfield, a scenario that is too familiar to the Huskies. Zirkle's grand slam was the second in the Huskies' series against Bowling Green as NIU lost Saturday's contest on a grand slam off the bat of catcher Abby Habicht.
In the fourth inning, the Falcons managed three doubles mixed in with a hit batter to score three more runs. A solo homerun by pinch hitter Natalie Armintrout gave the Falcons the 9-1 edge. One more run in the BG fifth and the tally ended 10-1.
Granath (3-4) suffered the loss for the Huskies after giving up six runs, five of them earned on six hits in two and a third innings. In a relief effort, Taryn Hagemann (Rochelle, IL/Rochelle) couldn't stop the Falcon bats and gave up four runs on five hits. Kelly Park (North Aurora, IL/West Aurora), Ellen Stoddard (Rolling Meadows, IL/Palatine Fremd), Randi Kreiter (Deerfield, IL/Deerfield) along with McPherson had the only four hits, all singles, for NIU.
"When your pitching and defense are having an off day, it's tough to win a ball game," said head coach Donna Martin. "We just had a less than stellar effort in the two most important parts of the game, but we just have to move on from this and come to Midland with our pitching and defense doing better."
In post-season competition, the Huskies travel to Midland, MI for the Mid-American conference tournament. NIU will faced the No. 2 seed, Kent State University (29-22, 17-5 MAC) at 12:30 p.m. (CDT) at Currie Field.
