Final Stats

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University softball team got back in the win column Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of Valparaiso.

The Huskies (21-17) romped to a 12-4 win in five innings over the Crusaders (9-29), then secured a 4-2 triumph in the second half.

"We haven't always been so great at midweeks, but to sweep the midweek gives us a little bit of confidence going into this weekend, especially after last weekend," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Obviously, it was nice to see the bats go. We got two nice pitching performances out of Keegan and Tara and then our defense was able to make some plays today."

Game One: Huskies Rout Crusaders, 12-4

NIU started the doubleheader in a big way offensively with a 12-4 win in five innings over Valparaiso.

The Huskies powered past the Crusaders thanks to the heart of the lineup, as the one through six hitters in the lineup combined for 14 hits and 10 runs. Meanwhile, Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) grabbed her first career win by allowing just two earned runs.

"Just scoring early and scoring often," Sutcliffe said about getting the offense rolling. "When you have a first inning like that, but then you are able to back it in the second gives you the confidence to know it wasn't a fluke against two different pitchers. When you have that confidence going into your next at-bat, you put up some good runs."

The Huskie offense was firing on all cylinders to start, putting up four runs in the first inning. Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) got it started by scoring on a wild pitch. Following a Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) double and an Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) single, Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) capped the frame with a two-run home run to centerfield, making it a 4-0 Huskie lead.

Valpo summarily answered in the next half-inning with two runs. After a hit by pitch and an error, Mollie Lindeman loaded the bases with a single, then Sierra Pico drew a walk to force home the first run. Brenna Boyle followed that up with a sac fly to plate another run.

NIU kept the runs coming in the bottom half of the inning with a five-spot. Thacker opened with a RBI double -- her first career hit -- to leftfield, scoring Allyson Hecht (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison). An error by the Crusaders scored Thacker, while two walks loaded the bases. Naegele made the score 7-2 with a sac fly, then Harnish singled home another run in the ensuing at-bat. The Huskies extended the advantage to 9-2 with a Sturm RBI single.

Thacker held Valpo off the board in the third and fourth, but the Crusaders got two on the board in the fifth. Following a Boyle single to lead off, Kaitlyn Ranieri doubled down the rightfield line to put two Crusaders in scoring position. Moments later, Jorgi Calombaris came through with a two-RBI double to get Valpo within 9-4.

Yet, the Huskies answered the comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) got things rolling with a single, while Grable clocked a double into right-center to bring home the sophomore infielder. Naegele followed with a single to score Grable. Harnish walked and Sturm singled to put two runners in scoring position for Caitlyn Warren (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North), who delivered with a sharp single to bring home the game-ending run.

Game Two: Homers, Defense Lift NIU to 4-2 Win

Courtesy of two home runs and a pair of late-inning double plays, the Huskies snagged the sweep with a 4-2 win in game two.

Kayti Grable and Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) each hit solo home runs for the Huskies in the win, while the defense shined by turning inning-ending double plays in the sixth and seventh innings.

"We just made the plays," Sutcliffe said. "I told them after, when our pitcher walked a batter, we were able to play the defense to get them off. When we made an error, the pitcher was able to make the pitch to get off the field."

Grable opened the scoring in the bottom of the first by clobbering a solo home run over the fence in left-center. However, Valpo countered in the top of the third when Kaitlyn Ranieri dropped a single into centerfield to score Taylor Lawson and knot the game at 1-1.

However, the Huskies had an emphatic answer in the bottom half of the frame. Woollard led off with a solo shot to left-center -- nearly the same spot as Grable's homer in the first -- to give NIU a 2-1 lead. The Crusaders, though, had an answer again in the top of the fourth when Tarah McShane doubled, then reached home on Sierra Pico's single.

NIU seized the lead for good in the fifth. After a walk from Woollard, Kaitlyn Barrett (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) and Bryanna Phelan hit back-to-back singles to load the bags. Kali Kossakowski managed to get the go-ahead run home in unconventional fashion by drawing a walk. Grable added an insurance run in the next at-bat with a single to bring home Barrett.

Valpo tried to rally in the sixth and seventh innings, but NIU's defense denied the Crusaders. Ashlyn Montgomery opened the sixth with a double, but a popup and a double play ended the threat. Meanwhile, Valpo had the tying run at the plate in the seventh, but the Huskies turned another twin-killing to end the game.

The Huskies return to the road this weekend when they face Miami in a Friday doubleheader, followed by games Saturday and Sunday against Ball State.