DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team swept its doubleheader with Akron at Mary M. Bell Field on Saturday afternoon.
NIU (14-25, 8-15) rallied in game one for 6-3 victory over the Zips (4-31, 3-18) in game one before a 7-0 offensive eruption in game two.
"We knew we needed to prove we were better than what we showed yesterday," NIU head coach
Christina Sutcliffe said. "Just come out a little more patient at the plate, don't try to do too much. Honestly, our pitchers did a really nice job today. That's definitely what we needed out of our pitching staff."
After taking a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by
Delaney Ostrowski in the second and an RBI single by
Carley Goetschius in the third, Akron took a 3-2 lead with a three-run sixth. The Huskies responded in the bottom of the inning.
With the bases loaded and no outs,
Kelly Walinski tied the game on an RBI groundout.
Katie Keller delivered the big blow of the inning. With runners at second and third with one down, Keller stroked a double to left-center field to clear the bases and give the Huskies a 5-3 advantage.
She then manufactured a run, stealing third, then stealing home for an insurance run.
"I think she's been pressing a little bit, getting in her head a little bit more than she normally does," Sutcliffe said of Keller. "But that's what her teammates are for, she doesn't always have to be the one to do it. She had a little bit of a funk, she was able to come out of it today. You can always count on Keller having a good game."
Claire Norred, who came in to pitch midway through the sixth, retired the Zips in order to pick up her eighth win of the season. Keller went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Huskie lineup carried that performance into game two and
Mackenzie Bryan was very effective in the circle. NIU used a five-run second-inning outburst to provide Bryan with some cushion.
Bianca Barone, who led off the inning with a single, advanced to third on a groundout and wild pitch. She scored the game's first run on an RBI single by Goetschius. With the bases loaded and one out, Goetschius crossed home plate when
Sam Mallinder was hit by a pitch to give NIU a 2-0 advantage.
Kara Apato then scored when
Jenna Nink reached on a Zip error. Walinski drove in the fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly, while Keller's single to right field drove in Mallinder and gave the Huskies a 5-0 lead. An RBI single by Mallinder and an RBI double by Walinski in the sixth capped the scoring for the Huskies.
Bryan held Akron to two hits and four walks while striking out seven in seven innings of work.
"Her change up today was on point," she said. "That's definitely what kept them off balance for the most part. She was able to spot it really well as well. She was able to be a little wild just because she had that pitch she knew she could throw on any count for a strike."
The Huskies conclude their series with Akron at Mary M. Bell Field tomorrow. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. Fans can watch all the games on NIUTube or follow via live stats on NIUHuskies.com.
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