TOLEDO, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University softball team lost a doubleheader at Toledo where a total of 39 runs were scored between the two teams Saturday at Scott Park.
 
Toledo (15-10, 5-4) won the first game, 13-12, before taking the second from NIU (8-17, 3-8), 11-3, in five innings. A total of 38 hits were recorded in the first game, along with five errors.
 
The Huskies jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning of game one as NIU took advantage of a pair of Toledo errors. Kara Apato led off the inning when she reached on an error by the first baseman. Katie Keller drove her home two batters later with a two-run home run to left center. Back-to-back singles and a groundout put runners on second and third with two outs.
 
Amberly Rodriguez cleared the bases with a single through the leftside to score Bianca Barone from third, while Carley Goetschius came home to score on a throwing error by the left fielder. Rodriguez then scored on a Sam Mallinder double down the right field line.
 
However, Toledo responded with three runs in the first, six in the second and another in the third to open a 10-5 advantage. NIU pulled to within three on a single through the left side by Barone. Unfortunately, the Rockets answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.
 
The Huskies added three runs in the top of the fifth, with Barone delivering the big blow in the inning with a two-RBI single, following a Goetschius RBI single. Toledo added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, which it would need.
 
NIU mounted a charge in the top of the seventh. Keller, who led off the inning with a double, came around to score on a one-out double by Barone. Mallinder pulled NIU to within a run with a single to center field. She moved into scoring position when Maddie Mackey was hit by a pitch, but the Huskies were unable to take advantage.
 
Barone went a perfect 5-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored, while Mallinder was 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Keller had another solid performance at the plate with three hits and a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored.
 
The second game was all Toledo. After a three-run first by the Huskies, Toledo tallied four in the second, one in the third and six in the fifth to win the game in five innings.
 
"Our defense fell short today," NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe said. "It was disappointing to see us struggle with two outs so often. Our offense did a nice job trying to keep us in the game and we kept bouncing back."
NIU looks to tie the series with Toledo when the two meet in the series finale Easter Sunday. First pitch for game one is set for 11 a.m. CT.
 
-NIU-