Final Stats

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Northern Illinois University softball team came close to earning a series split Sunday, but a late rally by Western Michigan gave the Huskies a 5-4 loss.
 
NIU (19-17, 5-3 MAC) had a 3-1 lead in the middle of the sixth, but the Broncos (14-17, 6-2 MAC) scored four runs in the final two frames to steal the win.
 
"We're definitely frustrated," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "I think we know we just gave one away. You can't really do that in conference or else you start putting a lot of pressure on yourself. They know that they have the ability to win every game that we're in, so we can't let two games define our season."
 
NIU jumped out in front of WMU early. Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward), Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) and Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) loaded the bases with one out for the Huskies. Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) followed with a groundball to the left side for a RBI fielder's choice and a quick 1-0 lead.
 
Conversely, Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) kept the potent Bronco lineup off balance. Over the first three innings, the freshman did not allow a hit against WMU, while allowing just two baserunners -- one by a bases on balls, the other via an error -- during that time.
 
"We went back and made a couple of adjustments to how we were pitching them," Sutcliffe said. "I think she threw a little better, as well. A combination of the two definitely made a difference."
 
WMU finally got a run on the board in the fourth. Jenny Rohn led off with a single, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Erin Binkowski tied the game with a RBI single up the middle to score Rohn.
 
Yet, the Huskies answered in the top of the fifth and sixth. NIU took the lead when Grable lofted a sac fly into right field, allowing Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) to tag up and score for a 2-1 lead. In the next stanza, Naegele led off with a solo home run to left-center to push the Huskie advantage to 3-1.
 
WMU's offense, though, came alive in the bottom of the sixth. After a walk and a fielder's choice put runners on first and second with one out, Binkowski cracked a homer to leftfield to make it a 4-3 Bronco lead heading to the seventh.
 
Undeterred, NIU countered in their last chance. With two outs on the board and Kossakowski on first, Grable singled to put runners on the corners and keep the inning alive. Naegele took advantage of the situation with a clutch single to score Kossakowski and tie the game. However, pinchrunner Kaitlyn Barrett (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) -- who was the go-ahead run -- was tagged out at home to end the inning.
 
However, the Broncos found a way to win in the bottom half of the seventh. A walk and an error allowed WMU to get runners at first and third with one out and Rohn up to bat. With the winning run 60 feet away, Rohn came through for WMU with the game-winning sac fly to rightfield.
 
NIU steps outside of conference play Tuesday when they host Valparaiso for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field.