April 8, 2009

Final Stats

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team dropped its doubleheader with UIC, dropping game one, 4-3, in eight innings and losing the second contest, 9-1, Wednesday at Flames Field.

NIU (11-22) fell behind 2-0 early in game one, when the Flames (12-20) scored a run in the second and another in the third. The Huskies responded in the top of the fourth with a three spot.

Bailey Ouellette (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton) came up with bases loaded and nobody out and singled to center field, driving in Zoe Sinner (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove), who led off the inning with a walk, and Jenna Roberts (Verona, Wis./West), who reached on a fielder's choice, to tie the game at 2-2.

"She swung at the first pitch," NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said of Ouellette's hit. "That's what I've been asking them to do. She made up her mind that that's what she was going to do and made it happen."

Andrea Colosimo (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg), who was at first, advanced to third and Ouellette to second on the play, giving NIU runners in scoring position. The Huskies looked poised for a big inning when Emily Gooding (Lismore, Australia/Lake Land C.C.) earned a walk to load the bases again with no outs.

However, Kayla Kramer (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago) hit into a double play when she fouled out to the right fielder and Colosimo was thrown out at the plate trying to score. Carly Norton (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for pinch hitter Ashley Cann (Glenwood, Ill./Marian Catholic). Cann coaxed a walk driving in Ouellette and giving NIU a 3-2 lead.

UIC tied the game at 3-3 with a run in the fifth and both teams were unable to scratch across a run in the final two innings, sending the game into extra innings. With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the eighth, UIC scored the game-winning run when Melinda Macias reached on catcher's interference after hitting Norton's glove on her swing, driving in Ashley Hewett.

The second game was all UIC. NIU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning, however the Flames came back with a run in the second, another in the third and two runs in both the fourth and fifth. UIC posted a three-run sixth

"They played better than we did today," Chouinard said. "They deserved to win more than we did."

Northern Illinois is back on the field tomorrow afternoon when the Huskies return to Chicago to face DePaul. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

-NIU-