DEKALB, Ill. – The long ball played a factor once again as the Northern Illinois University softball team suffered a 10-8 setback to Kent State at Mary M. Bell Field Saturday afternoon.
 
"There was much better fight in us today," NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe said. "We made some great plays when we needed them. We just fell one short."
 
NIU (6-15, 1-6) and Kent State (9-11, 6-1), combined for 18 runs, eight via home run, and 12 of those runs came in the final four frames in the third game of the series. The two clubs tallied 32 hits in the contest with the Golden Flashes with 17. In addition to the three home runs, both teams combined for seven doubles.
 
With the score tied, 4-4 after Kent State scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, Carley Goetschius untied it with a one-out grand slam over the left field scoreboard to put NIU up, 8-4.
 
"Carley's been swinging it really well all year this year," she said. "She's been in and out of believing in herself. I was happy to see herself get that done and get it done with two strikes in that at bat."
 
However, the lead was short-lived as the Kent State responded with four in the top of the seventh, both came on home runs. A pinch-hit leadoff home run by Autumn Acord started the Golden Flashes rally. Four batters later, with runners at the corners and one out, Alexis Taube cleared the bases with homer to left to tie the game.
 
NIU, which responded every time Kent State scored, was unable to answer in the bottom of the frame and the game went to extras.
 
After a scoreless eighth, Kent State took the lead in the top of the ninth. With runners at first and second with two outs, Olivia Sborlini doubled to clear the bases, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple.
 
Goetschius led the way for NIU, going 2-for-5 with a game-high five RBIs and a run scored. She gave NIU the early 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first.
 
Katie Keller, who went 1-for-2 with three walks, one intentional, drove in her two RBIs of the in the bottom of the second as part of a three-run inning after Kent State took a 2-1 lead with a pair in the top of the inning.
 
"Coming out and scoring in the first and second innings makes a big difference," Sutcliffe said. "You grab the momentum right away. The big thing early on was we always bounced back. They put up two, we put up three. They put up two, we put up four. We just didn't have that final bounce back in us."
 
The Huskies and Golden Flashes wrap up their series tomorrow at Mary M. Bell Field. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. The game will be available via NIUTube and via live stats, all on NIUHuskie.com.
 
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