Final Stats

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University softball team split a pair of games Wednesday at Mary M. Bell Field against regional rival Loyola.

The Huskies (19-15) opened the day with a 3-1 win over the Ramblers (12-22) with a fine defensive showing, but suffered a nine-inning loss to Loyola in the second half of the doubleheader, 6-5.

Game One: Huskies Top Ramblers, 3-1

NIU opened the non-conference twinbill with a 3-1 victory over Loyola.

Pitcher Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) shut down the Ramblers by scattering six hits and one run over seven innings, while striking out five batters.

"I think Keegan did a really good job of jamming it up and getting some groundballs when she needed them," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Bekah Harnish made a phenomenal play in about the fifth inning that got us out of a big jam there, some big-time plays to get us off the field."

After two scoreless innings, the Ramblers put the first run on the board in the top of the third. Brooke Wyderski laced a two-out single into right-center. Jessica Balzano followed up with a hard-hit double to the warning track to bring in Wyderski and give Loyola a 1-0 lead.

Yet, the Huskies countered in the bottom half of the frame. Caitlyn Warren (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) led off with a walk, then crossed the plate on a Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) single to tie the game. After Kossakowski swiped second, Haley Wroten (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) lined a RBI single -- the first of her career -- into centerfield to push the Huskies ahead, 2-1.

NIU added to the lead in the ensuing inning to make it a 3-1 contest. Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) opened with a sharp single up the middle, then stole second and advanced to third on a flyout. With two outs, Warren brought home Woollard with a seeing-eye single for the Huskies' third run of the game.

From there, Hayes silenced the Rambler offense. Over the final four innings, the freshman surrendered just two hits and fanned four batters to clinch her 10th win on the year. Loyola put up its biggest late-game threat in the fifth on Annie Korth's lead-off double, but sharp fielding from Kossakowski and Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) got NIU out of the inning unscathed to preserve the lead.


Game Two: NIU Falls in Extras, 6-5

The Huskies nearly came back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth, but fell a few feet short in a 6-5 loss in nine innings.

NIU put up four runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, but two runs for the Ramblers in the seventh and ninth innings proved to be the difference in the contest.

"We forgot how to run the bases and forgot how to get a bunt down," Sutcliffe said. "Honestly, I think that's the difference in the game. First and second inning, we shot ourselves in the foot with that and that's the reason why we were even in extra innings. (If the) wind is not blowing in, I think we have another six runs that game."

After both teams came up empty in the first, Loyola opened the scoring in the top of the second. Ashley Parenti led off with a single, then advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Tarran Shaffer got the Ramblers on the board with a RBI single into right-center, while Jacquelyn Murphy put the second tally up for Loyola with a bloop single down the leftfield line to plate Hannah Jenkins and a 2-0 lead.

While the first four frames were fruitless, the Huskie offense exploded in the fifth. Caitlyn Warren led off the inning with a walk, while Allyson Hecht (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) doubled to put runners on second a third with none out. Haley Wroten put the first NIU run on the board with an RBI groundout. Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) tied the game with a single to the shortstop to bring home Hecht and tie the game.

Kali Kossakowski kept the run going with an infield single, while a walk to Ashley Evans (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) loaded the bases for Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest). The junior delivered with a single up the middle, scoring two to push the Huskies ahead, 4-2.

Yet, the Ramblers manufactured a rally in their last chance in the top of the seventh. Shaffer started the comeback with a single, then advanced to second on a throwing error. Murphy got Loyola within one on a hard-hit double to left-center. Moments later, Murphy scored the tying run when Jessica Balzano reached base on an error. Coming on in relief, Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) prevented any further damage with a lineout, popout and a groundout.

Following a scoreless eighth, Loyola put two runs up in the top of the ninth with two outs. Jamie O'Brien started things with a single, then Brooke Wyderski doubled into the leftfield corner to put both runners in scoring position. Brianna Pasquale brought in the go-ahead run when she reached on an error, while Parenti was able to bring in a second run by reaching base on a second error.

Needing to respond, Sturm opened bottom of the ninth with a double into the rightfield corner. Phelan followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Kossakowski got one run across with a groundout that allowed Sturm to score and get NIU within 6-5. Unfortunately, Naegele's well-hit ball on a full count with two outs didn't carry far enough, as the Ramblers picked up the win.

The Huskies' return to MAC play this weekend when they travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to face Western Michigan. NIU and WMU open the two-game set Saturday at 1 p.m. CT, then conclude the series Sunday at noon CT.