Final Stats

FAMU vs. NIU Box Score 

FAU vs. NIU Box Score 

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Northern Illinois University softball team split its first two games of the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic Friday.

The Huskies (1-1) won their season opener, 6-4, over Florida A&M (3-3) in the first game the doubleheader before falling to host FAU (6-0), 8-0, in five innings.

“It was great to see our offense come alive in the first game with Naegele leading the way,” said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. “Getting the first win under our belt is always nice.”

Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) began her final season in an NIU uniform with a bang. The Huskie senior went 3-for-3 from the plate with three RBIs and a run scored. NIU’s catcher opened the game’s scoring with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first inning to give the Huskies a 1-0.

After a one-out RBI single by Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) in the bottom of the third, Naegele delivered NIU’s first home run of 2016. She deposited the Veroni Burse pitch over the left center field fence and the Huskies took a 4-0 lead.

FAMU battled back, scoring two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to pull within a run. However, the Huskies got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Grable scored on a wild pitch to make the score, 5-3.

Another Rattler run in the top of the sixth cut the deficit in half once again. But once again, the Huskies responded in the bottom of the inning. Rebecca Rupard (Normal, Ill./Normal West) led off the inning with a triple. Rupard scored when the next batter, Jordyn Bowen (Libertyville, Ill./Grayslake), hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Huskies an insurance run.

Sophomore Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover), who came in to pitch in relief for Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) in the top of the sixth, pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the save. Hayes took home the victory allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits.

The Huskies weren’t as fortunate in the second game. NIU’s offense was held to two hits by FAU pitcher Kylee Hanson. Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) and Naegele were the only two Huskies to tally a hit.

The Huskies return to the field Saturday for a pair of games. NIU will face UConn at 10 a.m. and will have a rematch with FAU at 2:30 p.m. All times listed are Central and all games will be available via Gametracker.

-NIU-