DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team used timely hitting and defense to defeat the Central Michigan Chippewas 4-1 under the lights at Mary M. Bell Field on Friday.
Junior
Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo. /Oakville) pitched six-and-one-third innings, surrendering one run on eight hits. The Huskie right-hander outpitched the Chippewas' Hanna Warren, who went four-and-one-thirds innings allowing three runs on six hits. Frenz improves to 9-6 this season with a team-best 2.58 ERA.
"I was just trying to stay relaxed and I had a lot of trust in my defense," said Frenz. "Their confidence in me helps me with pitching and staying calm."
Central Michigan (21-23, 11-10 MAC) had a chance to get on the board early. Centerfielder Lacy Tolfree led off the game with a single and stole second base. Designated Player Shaiden Knapp then hit a single to centerfield. While Tolfree was trying to score from second, junior
Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill. /Lincoln-Way East) threw a strike to freshman catcher
Kira Mickelson (Wheatland, Wis./ Westosha Central) to tag out Tolfree at home. The Chippewas would load the bases with two outs, but didn't score as Frenz got Morgan Gardner to fly out to
Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) to end the inning.
"I think Alex [Frenz] did a nice job on getting out of some really tough situations," said NIU head softball coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "She got hit fairly hard, but was able to minimize the damage. Obviously, Jenny [Van Geertry] had a nice throw in center to Kira [Mickelson] to get her out at home."
NIU (20-29, 10-10 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the first. After a lead-off double by Van Geertry,
Dominique Greeno (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston) drove her in with a double of her own to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Central Michigan responded with a run of its own in the top of the second. With two outs, the Chippewas' leftfielder Andrea Perlberg reached on an infield single. Tolfree drove her in with a double to tie the game 1-1.
Frenz worked out of another bases loaded jam in the top of the fifth. The junior got Gardner to fly out with two outs after walking the bases loaded. In the bottom of the fifth, the Huskies took back the lead. Mickelson led off the inning with a walk. After a junior
Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill. /Naperville Central) flyout, Van Geertry socked her second double of the game down the right field line to give the Huskies runners at second and third. Greeno then stepped up and hit a single up the middle to drive home pinch-runner sophomore Lala Toomalatai (Imperial Beach, Calif. /Otay Ranch) and give NIU a 2-1 lead. Junior
Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill. /Willowbrook) made the score 3-1 with an RBI sacrifice fly. The Huskies tacked on an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI single by Mickelson, which grew the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the seventh, Central Michigan had an opportunity to close the gap on the Huskies. Tolfree led off with a single and with one out, Erika Underwood knocked a base hit up the middle to bring the tying run to home plate. Freshman
Mackenzie Bryan (Elwood, Ind. /Elwood) came into the game from the bullpen and slammed the door on the Chippewas. After a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, Bryan earned her second save of the season with a strikeout and a groundout.
Van Geertry, Greeno, and Mickelson each had two hits for NIU in the victory. Greeno was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI as Van Geertry was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.
The Huskies and Chippewas conclude their three-game series with a Senior Day doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
–NIU–
