PHOENIX – The Northern Illinois University softball team dropped its doubleheader at Grand Canyon at GCU Softball Stadium on Saturday.
Trailing 7-3 headed into the top of the seventh, NIU (3-5) mounted a fierce rally to pull within a run and put the go-ahead run at second, all with two outs in the Huskies' final at bat.
Katie Keller led off the inning with a solo home run, her first of the season, to right field. After two quick Huskie outs,
Kira Mickelson kept the inning alive with a double past the shortstop.
Sam Mallinder earned a walk and
Maddie Mackey cleared the bases with a two-run double to right center.
Delaney Ostrowski and
Kelly Walinski kept the rally going with a single and walk, respectively, to load the bases. Unfortunately for NIU, Grand Canyon's (9-9) Ryan Denhart coaxed a flyout from
Kara Apato to end the threat and the game for the Huskies.
The Huskies were down 4-0, early in the contest after a Lopes' run in the second and three more in the third. NIU responded with three runs in the fifth, with Mallinder delivering the big blow with a two-run double to left. However, Grand Canyon added a run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth.
"Our team showed a lot of fight," NIU head coach
Christina Sutcliffe said. "We need to get through seven innings of solid defense. Overall, the weekend showed a lot of potential and heart in this team."
The Huskies are back in action Tuesday, Mar. 9 when NIU travels to Tempe to face No. 10/11 Arizona State. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. CT.
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