Grant Montgomery
Student Intern

CONWAY, S.C. – The Northern Illinois University softball team concluded play at the Residence Inn 2020 Battle of the Beach by defeating Delaware State,10-2, in six innings on Sunday. 
 
The Huskies' (5-5) victory over the Hornets capped a great weekend in South Carolina for NIU which took four out of five games at the tournament.   
 
NIU jumped off to an early start in the contest by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Kara Apato started things off by drawing a lead-off walk, and then came around to score on an RBI triple down the right field line by Anne Allen.  Allen then came around to score on a wild pitch.  The third and final run of the inning came when Katie Keller hit a solo home run to right center field. 
 
Keller was solid once again, as she notched four hits, scored three runs, and added an RBI to her total on the day. 
 
Huskie starting pitcher Amber Bumbalough got the nod from Sutcliffe in the tournament's finale. After allowing a run to the Hornets in the top of the first inning, Bumbalough used the strong run support from her offense to settle in. 
 
Bumbalough (2-0), pitched a complete game while allowing two runs, one earned, seven hits, and one walk, while tallying four strikeouts.
 
The Huskies would go on to add four insurance runs between the fourth and fifth innings, before putting the run rule into effect to secure the victory in the sixth.   
 
The sixth inning got started with one out in the inning, when Keller and Kenny Litana notched back-to-back singles.  Kira Mickelson then added a single of her own, which invoked chaos by the Hornet's defense, as an errant throw by the first basemen allowed Keller to cross home plate and Litana to get to third.  The final run of the contest was scored when Bumbalough singled to left field scoring Mickelson. 
 
"The team really came together this weekend offensively," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Hopefully we can clean up some defensive mistakes in the next two weeks and keep us rolling in Memphis. It was a great weekend for the Huskies."
 
The Huskies return to action Friday, Feb. 28 when NIU travels to Memphis, Tenn. to compete in the Blues City Classic.
 
-NIU-