Softball | February 17

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Northern Illinois University softball team split a doubleheader for the second straight day at the College of Charleston "Cougar Classic" on Saturday. 
 
The Huskies (2-7) dropped the first game of the day, 4-2, to DePaul before posting a 6-2 win over Iona.
 
"Obviously, we needed to get another win to pull to two and two on the weekend," said NIU head softball coach Christina Sutcliffe.
 
The Huskie (2-7) bats came alive in their victory over Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference foe Iona (1-2). The Huskies pounded out 12 hits and played error-free defense. 
 
The scoring started in the second inning when junior Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) singled home junior Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) to give NIU the early lead.  In the next inning, sophomore Kayla Scaperrotta (Margate, Fla./Coral Gardens) tripled home senior Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) to grow the lead to 2-0 after two. 
 
In the fifth, the Huskies continued to build on their lead when Woollard singled and scored senior Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) and sophomore Anne Allen (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln- Way North) which increased their advantage to 4-0.  A couple batters later, Scaperrotta filed out to right field which scored Woollard from third.  Huskies led 5-0 after the sacrifice fly. 
 
After Iona scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Huskies responded right back when pinch-hitter Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) came to the dish and scorched a single on the left side which scored  junior Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) and give NIU a 6-2 lead.
 
"Anytime when you are putting up double digit hits, you are doing something right," said Sutcliffe. "What I am loving is that we had fewer strike outs and it was definitely a thorn in our side in those losses and now that we are able to put the ball in play, we are making somethings happen; we are playing much better."
 
Right-handed hurler Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) pitched a complete game in the win against Iona.  The Huskie senior allowed two runs, five hits, and tallied seven strike outs, a season high.  Thacker earned her first win of the season and improved to 1-3 this season. 
 
"For Tara to go the distance is probably not going to be the norm," said Sutcliffe. "She was probably one maybe two hits away from coming out of that game; we are confident in our staff and confident of what they can do.  It is a matter of matchups and fortunately for us, Tara was a good matchup against Iona and got the job done."
 
DePaul defeated NIU in the first game of the day in a closely contested battle.  With the game tied in the top of the seventh, DePaul came through with a game-winning two-run single to post the victory. 
 
NIU started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Woollard tripled to right field to drive in Rio.  The Blue Demons responded with a two-run third on a double to take a 2-1 lead. 
 
In the sixth inning, the bases were loaded when Sam Schmidt stepped up to the plate and walked to score Rio and tie the game, 2-2.
 
Pitcher Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo. / Oakville) was effective, throwing five strong innings giving up six hits and two earned runs.  The Huskie junior took a no decision.
 
The Huskies conclude the College of Charleston Cougar Classic with a rematch against Longwood on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central Time. 
 
­-NIU-