Final Stats

NIU 13-BGSU 1 

NIU 2-BGSU 1 

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University softball team completed its series sweep of Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference series opener for both schools by taking the doubleheader at Meserve Field Saturday.

“The offense definitely carried for the first two games,” said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. “Bowling Green’s pitcher did a nice job against us in the third game. We had to rely on our defense and pitching. Any time you can start out MAC play 3-0 is always a good feeling. We just have to keep the momentum going.”

NIU (22-7, 3-0) took the first game, 13-1, before winning a pitcher’s duel with Bowling Green (12-18, 0-3), 2-1. With the doubleheader sweep, the Huskies extended their season-long winning streak to 14 games, their longest since the 1989 team accomplished the feat twice that season.

Once again it was Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) providing the pop in both games. The Huskie junior belted two home runs on the day, one in each games, including a grand slam.

Starting pitchers Emma Ray (Verona, Wis./Verona Area) and Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo./Oakville), along Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover), were very effective from the circle.

Ray improved to 3-0 on the season, holding the Falcons to one run, unearned on four hits and a walk in the first game. Thacker, who came in to pitch in relief of Ray, got the final three outs of the game. Frenz ran her record to 9-2 allowing one run on four hits and two base on balls, while striking out six, in her seventh complete game of the year.

“All three of our pitchers had a great day today,” Sutcliffe said. “They kept the runners under control. I think there was only one really hard-hit ball off of them all day today. They were mixing things up and making a pitch when they needed to.”

Ray had plenty of run support in her start. With the score tied, 1-1, heading into the top of the second, NIU plated six runs, to take a commanding 7-1 lead with Grable delivering the biggest hit of the inning.

With the bases loaded, one out and one already in, Grable homered down the left field line to give the Huskies a 6-1 advantage. Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest), who was the last Huskie to hit a grand slam, which she did last year against Toledo, hit a solo shot over the right centerfield fence to end the scoring outburst for NIU.

The Huskies posted another six-run inning in the top of the fourth. Naegele began the rally with an RBI groundout with the bases loaded and no outs. Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and Haley Wroten (Belleville, Ill./Belleville East) each recorded RBI singles as well, before Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) blasted a three-run homer to left centerfield.

After belting out 13 runs on 10 hits in five innings in the first game of the day, NIU was held to just three hits in the series finale. However, all the Huskies needed were two and they came in the first inning.

NIU leadoff batter Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill/St. Edward) began game two with a triple. Two batters later, Grable hit her second home run of the game, this time to left center, driving in Kossakowski and giving NIU an early 2-0 lead.

Frenz and the Huskie defense made it stand. The only blemish on Frenz’s ledger was an RBI single by Molly Holliday in the bottom of the fifth. She did have to pitch out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.

A leadoff single and subsequent sac bunt put the tying run at second with one out. However, Frenz got the next two batters to strike out and then groundout to preserve the win.

Grable was 2-for-5 with six RBIs and three runs scored on the day. Naegle was 2-for-6 with five RBIs in the doubleheader.

“Grable and Naegele are both seeing the ball really well,” she said. “Kayti had a great series against Bowling Green. It’s nice to see her get going. Those two carry our offense.”

The Huskies return to the field Wednesday when NIU travels to Chicago for a doubleheader with Loyola. First pitch for game one is set for 3:30 p.m. CT with the second game to follow.

-NIU-