Final Stats

TROY, Ala. – The Northern Illinois University softball team bounced back Saturday at the Trojan Invitational, picking up a pair of one-run victories against Kennesaw State and Troy.
 
The Huskies (4-5) started the day with a 2-1 walk-off win over the KSU Owls (5-4), then came from behind to topple the Troy Trojans (5-7) in the second part of the twinbill.
 
“I think our pitching just stepped up today compared to yesterday,” said NIU Head Coach Christina Sutcliffe. “That was the biggest thing. They made some huge pitches to get some key outs when they needed to. Our offense still isn’t completely rolling, but they did enough to win each game. As we said yesterday, as long as we are in those one-run games in the seventh and come out on top, the more confidence we can get when it matters in conference.”
 
Game One: Warren’s Walk-Off Help Huskies Oust Owls, 2-1
 
Behind a stellar defense and timely hitting, the Huskies pulled out a thrilling 2-1 victory over Kennesaw State Saturday morning.
 
Caitlyn Warren (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) was the Huskies’ hero with a two-out, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, while senior pitcher Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) shut down the hot-hitting Owls by allowing just five hits and one unearned run in a complete-game effort.
 
“Jess did a great job of keeping them off balance,” Sutcliffe said. “Jess is really capable of pitching against anybody in the country when her stuff is working. It was good to see her have that rhythm today. She hasn’t had it all that much this season. Being able to shut that team down, hopefully she can build some confidence off it and keep it going.”
 
Facing a KSU lineup that entered the weekend hitting .316 with 22 extra-base hits in seven games, Sturm was masterful in the circle. The senior allowed just two hits and a walk in the first four innings of play and keeping the Owls off the board.
 
Conversely, NIU’s offense was held in check by KSU pitcher Morgan Sikes, mustering only two hits in the first three frames. Yet, the Huskies broke through in the fourth. Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) led off the inning with a single, then advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on an Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) flyout. Sturm helped her own cause moments later with an RBI fielder’s choice, as Grable beat the throw home for a 1-0 Huskie lead.
 
KSU succinctly tied the game in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third with one out, Natalie Rhodes knocked an RBI single to knot the game at 1-1 and put runners on the corners. The Owls were primed to take the lead when Rhodes advanced to second on a groundout, but Sturm forced a flyout to get out of the jam.
 
Both defenses kept the game tied into the bottom of the seventh with great play. While NIU stranded a runner on second in the bottom of the sixth, the Huskies proceeded to keep KSU off the board. With two outs and a runner on first, Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) caught Missy Perkowski stealing, firing to Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) at second to end the threat.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Huskies quickly found themselves down two outs. However, Allyson Hecht (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) kept the inning alive with a single to center field, while Kaitlyn Barrett (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) got on courtesy of a fielding error at second base. That’s when Warren came through in the clutch, lacing a single up the middle to bring home Hecht for the winning run.
 
Game Two: NIU Rallies in Seventh, Conquers Trojans, 6-5
 
In a rematch with tournament host Troy, the Huskies used a seventh-inning rally to down the Trojans, 6-5.
 
Down 5-3 entering the final frame, NIU got RBIs from Caitlyn Warren, Kayti Grable and Emily Naegele for the come-from-behind victory, while pitched Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) threw five innings of relief to pick up the win.
 
“I always tell our pitchers to give us a chance in the seventh inning,” Sutcliffe said. “Keegan came in and did that. She was able to come in and put some zeroes on the board consecutively and was able to keep us in it so we did have a chance in the seventh inning. That’s all we can ask of a relief pitcher.”
 
The Huskies quickly jumped on the Trojans in the first period. Following walks to Warren and Grable, Bekah Harnish put NIU on the board with a RBI single through the right side to plate Warren. Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) kept the runs coming with a bases-clearing triple to score Grable and Harnish and make it a 3-0 Huskie lead before Troy even got an at-bat.
 
However, the Trojans countered in the second against NIU pitcher Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover). Keyed by Amanda Winters’ lead-off double, Troy loaded the bases for Carli Kayler, who knocked in Winters. Hannah Day followed that up with a RBI single to tie the game at 3-3, while Michelle Phelps gave the hosts the lead with a RBI single to the shortstop.
 
Troy added another run in the third after Thacker was lifted for Hayes, as Kayler drove in her second run of the day with a double.
 
While the NIU offense was unable to regain its first-inning form, Hayes kept the Huskies within striking distance by allowing just one hit between the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Arguably to most important part of that stretch came in the fifth, when the freshman hurler recovered from allowing a lead-off triple to strand the runner in scoring position.
 
Down to their final chance, the Huskies came alive in the top of the seventh. Rebecca Rupard (Normal, Ill./Normal West) sparked the rally with a double to open the frame, then scored when Warren clocked a double down the leftfield line to get NIU within 5-4.
 
“Some of it was obviously timing, but the team believes they can win,” Sutcliffe said. “When you have a team that believes that and they finally see it, there’s no telling where they can go. Rupard’s been struggling a little bit, so to see her come up clutch and start the inning off that way, hopefully that will get her going offensively. She’s capable of a lot of things offensively. She can do it.”
 
Following a walk to Kristyn Barrett (Monticello, Ill./Monticello), Grable singled home Warren from second to tie the game and put Barrett on third. With the go-ahead run 60 feet away, Naegele laid down a great bunt to bring home Barrett and put NIU up, 6-5. Though NIU was unable to score anymore, Hayes put the clamps down on Troy in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
 
The Huskies close the Trojan Invitational Sunday at 10 a.m. with a matchup against UConn.