Final Stats

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team opened the Mid-American Conference schedule Saturday by sweeping a doubleheader against Akron.

The Huskies (15-13, 2-0 MAC) started the day with a 9-1 win in six innings over the Zips (12-13, 0-2 MAC), then grabbed a dramatic 9-8 walk-off win in the second game. This marks the first time since 2009 that NIU has started 2-0 in the MAC.

"Anytime you can start the conference 2-0, it's a good day," said NIU Head Coach Christina Sutcliffe. "That's kind of what I told them afterwards. I said `You may not understand this now, but in a month from now, you'll understand why today was such a big deal.'"

Game One: Huskies Rout Zips, 9-1

Behind a six-run third inning, NIU kicked off the twinbill with a 9-1 romp over Akron in six innings.

Five different Huskies batted in at least one run in the run-ruled rout, with Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) knocking in three runs.

The Huskies got the scoring started early with one tally in the bottom of the first. Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) led off the frame with a single, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Grable brought in the senior outfielder from second with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

NIU, though, blew things wide open in the third. After Phelan and Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) reached base to open the frame, Grable added to the Huskies' lead with a bases-clearing triple into right-center to make it a 3-0 lead.

Moments later, Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) hit a high fliyball in the infield, but Akron pitcher Erin Seiler dropped the ball to allow Woollard to reach second, while scoring Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) and Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) for a 5-0 lead. Allyson Hecht (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) kept the runs coming with a wallbanger double to score Woolllard. Phelan capped the scoring by bringing in Hecht on an error in the outfield.

Akron quickly got one run back in the fourth. Following a double by Alyssa Nicholas, Caitlin Gambone got the Zips on the board with a double into right field. However, Sturm make quick work of the Akron lineup all game, fanning six and scattering four hits over six innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, NIU put the finishing touches on the win. Consecutive walks to Grable and Naegele got the stanza started, then Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) brought in one run with an RBI double. Three batters later with the bases loaded, Hecht lofted a sacrifice fly into deep centerfield to bring in the game-deciding run.

Game Two: Hecht's Walk-Off Gives Huskies 9-8 Win

In a back-and-forth offensive slugfest, Allyson Hecht's walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh was the difference as NIU scored a 9-8 win against Akron in Game Two.

The Huskies piled up nine runs and 10 hits on the Zips, but Hecht's hit drove home Jessica Sturm to give the home team a thrilling walk-off win.

"They've been coming back early this year, so we knew we had that in us," Sutcliffe said. "When you win the first game, you have to keep in mind that the next game doesn't know you won the first game and you don't lose your momentum and lose the energy and expect to win the second one. Especially when they got in the hole early, being able to come out of that is pretty big deal because they gained all the momentum and ran with it."

Akron got on the board right away in the game when Kellie Roudabush lifted a solo home run down the leftfield line, giving the Zips a quick 1-0 lead. In the next inning, Akron pushed the lead to 4-0. With runners on first and second, Cassie Gillespie reached base on an error to allow Taryn Allmon to score. The runs kept coming for the Zips when Alyssa Nicholas singled to bring in Gillespie and Taylor Kirian.

Undeterred, the Huskies got to back in the bottom half of the frame. Bekah Harnish led off with a double to left center. Two batters later, Alaynie Woollard crushed a ball over the fence in left-center field to trim the NIU deficit to 4-2.

NIU moved ahead in the ensuing inning with a six-run third. A Kali Kossakowski walk and a Kayti Grable single put two on for Emily Naegele, who tied the game with a single. Harnish pushed the Huskies out in front with an infield hit, while Naegele beat the tag at home plate for the go-ahead run.

Yet, NIU wasn't done in the third. Hecht tripled to right-center, scoring Alaynie Woollard and Sturm for a 7-4 Huskie lead. A passed ball mere seconds later brought Hecht home and pushed the NIU advantage to 8-4.

Akron trimmed the lead in the sixth when Gillespie doubled to score Kirian. Savannah Fruin repeated the feat two spots later with a two-bagger to bring in Gillespie and get the Zips within 8-6. Down to their last chance in the seventh, Akron got runners on second and third with two outs. Allmon kept the Zips' hopes alive with a single up the middle to bring home Sara Pearson and Caitlin Gambone, tying the game at 8-8.

Yet, as they had earlier in the game, the Huskies found a way to counter Akron's offense. Sturm - who had surrendered the lead just moments earlier - opened the inning with a sharp double into center field. Two batters later, Hecht played the hero with a walk-off double into right-center that brought Sturm home and sent the Huskies home with the win.

The Huskies continue with MAC play Friday when they host Bowling Green for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field.