DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team split a doubleheader against the Ohio Bobcats at Mary M. Bell Field on Saturday. The Huskies defeated the Bobcats 15-5 in the first game, with Ohio taking the nightcap in a pitcher's duel 2-0.
NIU (14-21, 5-3 MAC) jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first inning of game one, sending 13 hitters to the plate.
Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) opened the scoring with an RBI single, scoring
Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East). After a
Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) RBI single and a wild pitch that scored Schmidt made the score 3-0,
Katie Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey) drove in Harnish on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 4-0. With two outs, Van Geertry cleared the bases with a triple to right field to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead. She would later score on a wild pitch. Schmidt capped the inning with a run-scoring double to put the Huskies ahead 9-0.
"Anytime you can score three or four in the first inning you are doing great things," said NIU head softball coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "It kind of kept coming even when we had two outs and tacked on a couple more on a couple of different pitchers. That was great to see."
Ohio (19-13, 7-1 MAC) came back with five runs in the top of the second, highlighted by a two-run double by Mikayla Cooper and a two-run single Michaela Dorsey, to cut the lead to 9-5. The Huskies tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the third. Schmidt started the scoring with her third RBI of the game on a single. With the bases loaded and no outs, senior
Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind. /New Castle) smashed a grand slam down the left field line and grew the Huskies' lead to 14-5.
Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) added a two-out RBI single to put NIU ahead 15-5.
"I think everyone was seeing it right the first game," said Woollard. "All week, we have been working on inside pitches and working with two strikes. The practice mentality showed up in the game and it was awesome."
Schmidt was 3-for-3 at the plate in game one with three RBI. Van Geertry reached base on all four plate appearances. In the circle,
Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo. /Oakville) pitched three-and-two-thirds innings of shut out ball in relief to earn her sixth win of the season.
For all the offense displayed in game one, it was pitching that highlighted Saturday's second game. Ohio starting pitcher Danielle Stiene and NIU's
Mackenzie Bryan (Elwood, Ind./Elwood) combined to allow one hit through the first six innings. The Bobcats had a chance to get on the board in the top of the fourth. Katie Yun led off the inning with a walk, eventually getting to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. However, Bryan struck out Morgan Geno to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at third. NIU then had a chance to score in the bottom of the fifth. With runners at first and second and two out, Stiene struck out pinch-hitter
Abby Howlett (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) to keep the game scoreless.
NIU finally put a number in the hit column in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out single by
Dominique Greeno (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston). Ohio then put a run on the board in the top of the seventh. Natalie Alvarez led off the inning with a walk, then advanced to second on a sacrifice. Geno then broke up Bryan's no-hitter and shutout with an RBI single through the left side, scoring pinch-runner Deanna Cole to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. Ohio added an insurance run as MacKenzie Brunswick scored on an error to make the score 2-0. Stiene made that lead hold up, retiring the side in NIU's half of the seventh.
Stiene struck out 11 Huskie batters for the complete game shutout, allowing just one hit with one walk. Bryan allowed just two hits in six-and-two-thirds innings with two walks and a strikeout.
"It felt good, but in the same time, there were a lot of plays that could have gone either way," said Bryan. "I felt really good today as far as throwing hard and my pitches were moving a little bit better."
The Huskies and Bobcats conclude their weekend series at Mary M. Bell Field on Sunday at 12 p.m.
–NIU–
