April 28, 2011

Box Score

Game One Box Score in PDF Format

Game Two Box Score in PDF Format

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern University softball team won its third straight Thursday afternoon, sweeping Loyola 14-2 and 4-0 in a doubleheader Thursday at Mary M. Bell Field on Senior Day.

"It's wonderful for our two seniors," said NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard. "They've done a great job and they did a great job today. We're very grateful for the time we've had with them."

Senior Zoe Sinner (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) celebrated her final day in front of the home fans with a 2-for-3 performance in Game One, including a three-run homer over the left field fence, while freshman Stephanie Tofft (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) extended her school-record hitting streak to 34 games, getting a hit in her last at bat of each game.

Sinner's home run was part of a nine-run first for the Huskies (23-21) as NIU scored 14 runs on 13 hits to defeat Loyola (22-21) in five innings. Sinner keyed a four-run fourth as she led off the inning with a double and scored on an Alexandra Wulbecker (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) single.

Amanda Sheppard (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) had a solid day at the plate in the first game, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a game-high four RBIs, while Andrea Colosimo (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Tofft was impressive in the circle for Northern Illinois, going five innings allowing two runs, both earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts and no base on balls. She was 1-for-2 from the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.

The strong pitching continued in Game Two, as Nicole Gremillion (Missouri City, Texas/Elkins) pitched a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out four.

"Nicole and Steph pitched really well," Chouinard said. "No earned runs in 12 innings against a team that's doing very well this season is great, kudos to them. They stepped up when it mattered."

The Huskies provided all the offense she would need tallying eight hits and scoring four runs. Northern Illinois took a 1-0 lead with a run in the fourth and tacked on two more in the fifth. Those two runs would prove crucial. Not only did it provide a few insurance runs, but the eight batters that came to the plate in that inning allowed the line up to turnover enough to bring Tofft to the plate in the top of the sixth.

With two on and two out, Tofft deposited the Brittany Gardner pitch into left field, scoring Jennifer Barnett (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) from second to give NIU a 4-0 lead and extend her streak to 34 games.

With 18 runs scored today, NIU has set a school record for runs scored in a season with 256, surpassing the previous mark of 246 set in 1993 in 58 games. The 2011 Huskies did it in 44.

Northern Illinois is back in action Saturday when the Huskies travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a Mid-American Conference West division battle with Western Michigan. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Central time.

-NIU-