Grant Montgomery
Student Intern
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Saluki Invitational at Charlotte West Stadium on Sunday.
The Huskies dropped a 6-0 decision against DePaul to begin the day, before avenging an earlier loss to IUPUI in the tournament, winning the second game, 10-5.
Timely hitting and late insurance runs were key for the Huskies in game two of Sunday's matchups. It did not take long for NIU to get the bats going against the Jaguars, as the Huskies jumped out to an early lead courtesy of a
Katie Keller two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
NIU took a 4-0 advantage after
Kira Mickelson sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single by
Amberly Rodriguez in the fourth.
Huskie starting pitcher
Sam Mallinder cruised through the first three innings of the contest as she did not allow any runs until the fourth. IUPUI's shortstop Delainey Turner cut the lead in half after hitting a two-run home run, making the score 4-2 Huskies. Mallinder did a great job limiting the damage, as she sat down the next three batters in order.
Mallinder allowed two runs on six hits while striking out one batter en route to her second win of the 2020 campaign.
The Huskies added on two runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Anne Allen led off the frame with a walk, which was followed by a Keller double setting up second and third with no outs. Mickelson scored Allen on another sacrifice fly to center field, before
Carley Goetschius reached on a fielder's choice that scored Keller.
IUPUI pulled to within a run after adding three runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Huskies responded with four runs in their half of the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Bianca Barone began the inning with a triple to center field. She came around to score on a
Kenny Litana RBI double. Later in the inning, the bases were loaded with two outs for Goetschius, the Huskies third basemen took advantage of the opportunity by scoring two runners on a single. NIU added one more run when Rodriguez drew a bases loaded walk to conclude the scoring.
"We did a fantastic job answering in the top of the sixth and stopping their momentum," said NIU head coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "Kenny and Carley came up clutch for us and rose to the challenge."
Keller and Goetschius were great in Sunday's performance, as they combined for three hits, five RBI, and three runs scored.
NIU is back in action in Greensboro, NC for a double header against the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Wednesday, March 11th.
-NIU-
