April 25, 2008

Game One Final Stats in PDF Format

Game Two Final Stats in PDF Format

ATHENS, Ohio - The Northern Illinois softball team took the first game of a doubleheader with Ohio, 5-4, but couldn't complete the sweep, dropping the second game, 6-0, in Mid-American Conference action at Ohio Softball Field on Friday.

"It was good to win the first one," said Huskie head coach Lindsay Chouinard. "Timely hitting and putting the ball on the ground was the key."

A three-run fifth inning in game one helped power the Huskies (12-24, 6-8) by the Bobcats (21-20, 6-10). NIU scored its first run on an RBI single from senior Krista McPherson (Beecher, Ill./Beecher) that scored sophomore Kate Welsh (Wilmington, Ill./Bishop McNamara) from third. McPherson and junior Dani Thompson (Canyon Country, Calif./Canyon), who singled, would later both score on an Ohio throwing error to give the Huskies a 5-1 lead.

The Bobcats rallied for three runs themselves in the bottom of the sixth to pull within one run, but freshman Joreigh Landers (Vernonia, Ore./Vernonia) was able to shut the door to preserve the NIU victory by finishing the final two innings for starter Taryn Hagemann (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle), giving up only two hits and a walk to earn her first career save.

Hagemann (4-9) earned the win while allowing four earned runs in five innings on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Michelle Sauter (10-9) took the loss for Ohio after pitching 4.1 frames, giving up two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

McPherson paced the offense for the Huskies with a pair of hits and an RBI along with two runs scored. Senior Michelle Nendza (Palos Park, Ill./Lemont Mt. Assisi), Thompson and freshman Andrea Colosimo (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) each added hits as well.

In game two, the Bobcat pitching staff was too much to handle for the Huskie offense as Candace Saucedo and Emily Wethington combined to shut-out NIU on three hits with two walks a piece. Saucedo threw the first 3.1 innings and allowed three hits with a strikeout, while Wethington (10-8) finished the final 3.2 frames with five strikeouts to earn the win.

Ohio scored two runs in the first inning, one in the third and three in the fourth to hand Landers (4-5) the loss as she pitched all six innings, allowing only two earned runs on eight hits with five walks and a strikeout.

McPherson and juniors Ashley Clement (Moline, Ill./Moline) and Bailey Ouellette (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton) each had one hit for the Huskie offense.

The Huskies finish their road MAC schedule against Akron (15-31, 4-10) tomorrow at 1 p.m. CDT and Sunday at 12 p.m.

-NIU-