BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Northern Illinois University softball team started off the Hoosier Classic on the right foot sweeping UIC in the first game and Green Bay in the second game at Andy Mohr Field on Friday.
After the Huskies (7-17) were down 2-1 going into the top of the fifth, NIU rallied to score three runs en route to a victory over the Flames in the first game of the day before defeating the Phoenix, 5-2, in the second game of the day.
In the fifth, freshman
Katie Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill. /Hersey) pinch-hit for outfielder
Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill. /Naperville Central) and singled to start the inning. A couple batters later, after Lamich reentered as a pinch-runner, junior
Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill. /Lincoln-Way East) poked a single into center, which advanced Lamich to second.
The next batter,
Dominique Greeno (Lacey Wash. /North Thurston) singled to left to drive-in Lamich. Van Geertry advanced to third on the play and Greeno advanced to second on the throw. Sophomore Kayla Scaperrota (Margate, Fla. /Coral Springs Carter School) then reached on a fielder's choice and scored Van Geertry. Sophomore
Kalalaelisa Toomalatai (Imperial Beach, Calif. /Otay Ranch) pinch-ran for Scaperrotta. Greeno and Toomalatai attempted a double steal and Greeno scored on the play to give the Huskies a 4-2 lead.
"Wingerter getting a pinch-hit single to start the inning was huge for us," said NIU head softball coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "Then Scap [Scaperrotta] executed the squeeze which was big."
Senior
Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind. /New Castle) started the scoring for NIU in the game in the top of the second inning. She scored from third on a throwing error by the catcher to give NIU a 1-0 advantage. UIC answered at the bottom of the second with a two-run triple to give the Flames the lead.
The Huskies saw clutch relief pitching in the win versus UIC. After senior
Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio) went three-and-one-third innings,
Alex Frenz (Oakville Mo. /Oakville) worked three-and-two-thirds innings and struck out four batters.
"We all around played a great first game and did all of the little things right," Sutcliffe said.
NIU continued where they left off offensively in the second game of the day, scoring early against Green Bay.
"The second game was a complete team and pitching staff effort," said Sutcliffe. "We got out of a couple of jams with great defensive plays and made big pitches."
The Huskies jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, when with two outs in the first, Scaperrotta coaxed a walk.
Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill. /Willowbrook) then tripled to right, scoring Scaperrotta all the way from first.
After Green Bay singled to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning, the Huskies responded in the second. With one out, sophomore
Anne Allen (Frankfort, Ill. /Lincoln-Way North) singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the left fielder. Lamich then singled and drove in Allen from second. After Lamich took second on the throw, Van Geertry doubled to left, to score Lamich giving NIU a 3-1 lead.
The Phoenix added one run in the fifth on an RBI double. The Huskies added insurance runs in the top of the sixth. With one out, junior pinch-hitter
Abby Howlett (South Elgin, Ill. /St. Charles North) singled up the middle and junior speedster
Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill. /Plainfield East) came in to run. Van Geertry then singled to put runners on first and second. After a Greeno fouled out, Scaperrotta came through with a two-run triple to seal the Huskie win.
"Scap's [Scaperrotta's] triple to extend the lead gave us a chance to breath a little in the 7th," said Sutcliffe. "Overall it was a great day for the Huskies."
NIU concludes the Hoosier Classic on Saturday with a pair of rematches. The Huskies play Green Bay at 11:30 a.m. and UIC at 4:30 p.m. All times are Central.
–NIU–
