DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University Softball team scored early and often as it posted a 6-3 victory over Ball State at Mary M. Bell Field Saturday.
 
The Huskies (19-15, 7-5) received an outstanding pitching performance from Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) and some pop at the top of the line up against the Cardinals (25-19, 9-3).
 
Kayti Grable (Santana, Calif./Santee) led the way for NIU, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the three hole. Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) continued her hot hitting at home and in conference play, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) was 1-for-2 on the day with a walk and two runs scored batting in the leadoff spot.
 
Thacker improved to 5-7 on the season allowing three runs on six hits and seven walks in seven innings of work. Much of Ball State's damage came in the first two innings as the Cardinals tallied two runs on three hits.
 
"When they [Ball State] scored in that first inning I got a little nervous," Sutcliffe said. "We bounced back and got it and had three great innings of scoring."
 
The Huskie junior pitched out of a big jam in the second inning. With the bases loaded, two outs and a run already in for Ball State and the Cardinal clean up hitter, Janae Hogg, at the plate, Thacker got Hogg to fly out to Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) to end the inning.
 
"Tara did a really good job in the first and second inning of getting us off the field, making a pitch when they needed to," she said. "She was able to get them to pop up quite a bit, which was really nice to see."
 
From there, the Huskie offense took over and received some clutch hitting from Harnish and Grable. After two quick groundouts, Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) began the rally with a walk and Rio singled to put runners at first and second for Harnish.
 
The Huskie catcher went the other way with a single to right to drive Van Geertry from second. Rio advanced to third on the play and Harnish to second on the throw to the plate to try and get Van Geertry. Grable then cleared the bases with a double to center field and give NIU a 4-2 advantage.
 
NIU tacked on two more runs when Schmidt homered to left-center field to drive in Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) who reached on a one out single.
 
Ball State mounted one last rally in the bottom of the seventh. Rachel Houck led off the inning with a home run and the Cardinals had two on with two out and the tying run at the plate. Thacker struck out Brittany Hopper looking to end the threat and the game.
 
NIU returns to action Friday when the Huskies travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. for a weekend series with Western Michigan. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m. CT with the Broncos and Huskies facing off in a doubleheader Saturday.
 
-NIU-