Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Jenny Van Geertry
Scott Walstrom, NIU
12
Winner Kennesaw State KSU 3-7
8
Northern Illinois NIU 6-5
Winner
Kennesaw State KSU
3-7
12
Final
8
Northern Illinois NIU
6-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Kennesaw State KSU 0 0 5 0 4 3 0 12 11 1
Northern Illinois NIU 0 0 3 5 0 0 0 8 11 1

W: Andrews (2-4) L: Bryan, Mackenzie (4-3)

0
Northern Illinois NIU 6-6
8
Winner Houston UH 8-5
Northern Illinois NIU
6-6
0
Final
8
Houston UH
8-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Northern Illinois NIU 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3
Houston UH 0 1 6 1 X 8 10 0

W: HEEBNER, Savannah (2-3) L: Frenz, Alex (1-2)

Game Recap: Softball |

NIU Softball Drops Pair at Houston Challenge

Inability to get off the field hurts Huskies

HOUSTON – The big inning and errors proved too much to overcome as the Northern Illinois University softball team suffered a pair of loses on the first day of the Houston Challenge hosted by Houston Friday.

The Huskies (6-6) dropped a slugfest to Kennesaw State in the first game of the day, 12-8, before falling to the host Cougars, 8-0, in five innings in the second game of the day.

NIU fell behind Kennesaw State, 5-0, after the Owls scored five runs in the top of the third. However, the Huskies responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) drove in NIU's first run of the game on a bases loaded RBI single. A two-run RBI single by Dominique Greeno (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston) cut the Huskie deficit to two.

After holding the Owls in the top of the fourth, the Huskies took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Van Geertry delivered the big blow with a one-out three-run homer. Unfortunately, those would be the last runs NIU would tally.

The Owls scored four runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to take the contest.

It was all Houston in NIU's second game of the day. Houston scored eight runs, four earned, on 10 hits, while the Huskie defense committed three errors in the game. After jumping on top of NIU with a run in the second inning, the Cougars scored six runs in the bottom of the third. All of those runs were scored after a one out error.

The Cougars scored the game winner in the bottom of the fourth on the Huskie's third error of the game. The NIU offense was held in check by Savannah Heebner, mustering only two hits and a walk in the game.

"Today we struggled to get off the field by not making a pitch or play when it counted," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Tomorrow is a new day, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to get better."

The Huskies return to the diamond Saturday when NIU travels to Houston, Texas to compete in the Houston Challenge. The Huskies open the tournament against Kennesaw State at 10:30 a.m. CT.

-NIU-

Print Friendly Version