March 26, 2008

Game One

Game Two

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Northern Illinois softball team lost a pair of games to Iowa (20-10) on Wednesday, losing 8-0 in six innings in the first game and 1-0 in the second game as the games were played to make up for the cancelled Iowa Classic that was supposed to be on March 22 and 23.

The Huskies (5-13) fell behind early in Game One after the Hawkeyes plated five runs in the second inning. Iowa added two more in the third and another in the sixth to seal an 8-0 victory after six innings of play for starter Brittany Weil (12-8), who lasted the distance, giving up only one hit with eight strike outs.

NIU starter Kate Greenough (Portland, Ore./David Douglas) took the loss (3-5) after only pitching 1.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits. Senior Krista McPherson (Beecher, Ill./Beecher) tallied NIU's only hit of the game with a single to right field in the sixth frame.

Greenough took the mound once again in Game Two, lasting 3.1 innings while giving up one earned run on five hits with two strike outs. Unfortunately, the one Iowa run that was scored in the third frame was all the Hawkeyes needed as Amanda Zust (8-2) pitched a one-hitter with three strike outs in seven innings to earn the win, handing Greenough (3-6) her second loss of the day. Senior Michelle Nendza (Palos Park, Ill./Lemont Mt. Assisi) registered NIU's lone hit of Game Two with a single up the middle in the fourth.

The Huskies open up Mid-American Conference competition this weekend with a doubleheader against Eastern Michigan (7-12) in Ypsilanti, Mich. at 12 p.m. CST on Friday, March 28. NIU will then head to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to face Central Michigan (8-10) on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.

-NIU-