Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score

LUBBOCK, Texas - The Northern Illinois University softball team scored three runs in the top of the seventh to steal a 6-4 victory from Wichita State Saturday in the Huskies' second day of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic hosted by Texas Tech.

Trailing 4-3 heading into the final frame of the game, with two on and no one out, Alexandra Wulbecker (Hoffman Estate, Ill./Hoffman Estates) homered to left field to give the Huskies (2-7) a two-run lead. Freshman Stephanie Tofft (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) set up the comeback, leading off the inning with a double to centerfield, while Jennifer Barnett (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) singled to represent the go-ahead run.

NIU outhit Wichita State, 11-9, with Wulbecker leading the charge going 2-for-4 from the plate with four RBIs and a run scored. Barnett was also a catalyst to the Huskies offensive attack, with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate and two runs scored. Tofft also went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Whitney Owens (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights), who came in for Morgan Bittner (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) in the sixth inning, picked up her first victory of the season, shutting out the Shockers on two hits.

"Alex Wulbecker did a great job and had that big clutch hit for us," NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said. "Steph Tofft has been doing a great job for us all weekend. It was great to see Whitney come in and close it out to get her first win of the season.

"What the offense has done very well over the last two weekends is we've had production from everyone in the lineup at one point or another."

The Huskies dropped the nightcap to host Texas Tech, 8-0. The Red Raiders jumped on top of NIU with four unearned runs in the first inning. Texas Tech then scored two runs in the second and in the third.

Northern Illinois resumes play at the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic tomorrow when the Huskies face St. John's. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. and fans can follow all the action live via Gametracker.

-NIU-