DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team fell to the Ohio Bobcats in the rubber game of its weekend series 7-6 at Mary M. Bell Field on Sunday afternoon. Ohio scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat the Huskies.
NIU (14-22, 5-4 MAC) had a 6-5 lead going into the top of the seventh. With one out and a runner at second, Ohio shortstop Katie Yun doubled to centerfield to bring in first baseman Mikayla Cooper to tie the game 6-6. After a groundout moved Yun to third base, Michaela Dorsey laced an RBI base hit to right field to put the Bobcats ahead 7-6. Ohio pitcher Danielle Stiene then shut down the Huskies to secure the win.
The Bobcats started the scoring in the top of the first with a lead-off home run by Cooper. The Huskies tied the game in the second inning on a two-out RBI single by freshman
Katie Wingerter (Prospect Heights, Ill. /Hersey).
Ohio (20-13, 8-1 MAC) took back the lead in the top of the third. With a runner on first and two out, Alex Day hit a triple to right center to bring in Cooper and make the score 2-1. NIU took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth. After an
Anne Allen (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) sacrifice fly tied the game 2-2,
Abby Howlett (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) hit a pinch-hit RBI triple down the right field line to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead.
The Bobcats answered back with a three-run fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run triple by Cooper, to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, with two runners on base, Woollard smashed a three-run home run to give the Huskies a 6-5 advantage. Woollard hit her team-leading fifth home run of the year and finished 2-for-3 in the game.
"It felt amazing," said Woollard. "All I wanted was a base hit, but I just got lucky."
The Huskies stay at home and battle Ball State at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Mary M. Bell Field. The Cardinals will be the home team in the first game while the Huskies will be the traditional home team in the second game.
–NIU–
