April 10, 2010

Box Score

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ATHENS, Ohio - A three-run second inning proved to be the difference as the Northern Illinois University softball team defeated Ohio, 6-3, at the Ohio Softball Field Saturday afternoon.

With Northern Illinois (15-21, 5-2) leading 1-0 in the top of the second and the bases loaded with two outs, left fielder Amanda Sheppard (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) delivered the decisive blow, lining a double to center field to clear the bases and give the Huskies a 4-0 lead.

"Amanda did a great job today," NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said. "She's been doing a great job in left field. She made a really great diving catch in the first inning as well. Then, she came up with that huge hit that kind of set the tone for the game."

A run in the third and another in the fourth extended the Huskies' lead to 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. The Bobcats (8-22, 3-2) scored two runs, to cut the deficit to 6-3. However, pitcher Morgan Bittner (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) would shut the Ohio offense down and the Huskies would prevail.

Bittner improved to 10-9, allowing three runs, all unearned while scattering six hits in seven innings.

The Huskies pounded out seven hits with Carly Norton (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) accounting for almost half that total. NIU's catcher went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Sheppard went 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored.

"Hitting is very contagious," Chouinard said. "Now that we have a few people hitting consistently, we have more people stepping up and getting it done. It's nice to see it coming from all over the line up. It's good when you're having success."

The Huskies wrap up their series with Ohio tomorrow with first pitch set for 12 p.m. Central. Fans can follow all the action live via Gametracker at NIUHuskies.com.

-NIU-