UPDATE: The final games of the Frost Classic, scheduled for Sunday, February 27, have been cancelled due to inclement weather in the Chattanooga area.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – An offensive outburst from senior
Katie Keller helped power the Northern Illinois University softball team toa split of its games at the second day of the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee Saturday.
NIU defeated Eastern Kentucky 12-1 in five innings in the opener, but suffered an 11-3 setback to Southern Illinois in the second game.
"Coming out and scoring six runs in the first two innings set the tone for the first game," Huskies head coach
Christina Sutcliffe said. "We settled in a little bit and then came back on, which was nice to see. We did some really good things base running and put constant pressure on their defense, and got a good pitching performance out of Claire (Norred) as well."
Fresh off her four RBI performance in Friday's games, Keller picked up right where she left off as she drove in six runs on a pair of home runs, one of which was a grand slam to decide the first game by the run rule.
"Keller's just doing what she does," Sutcliffe said. "It's nice to see her back on track, and her whole thing is just to continue to swing the bat and she's been doing well."
After a three-run first inning against EKU, Keller made it a 4-0 affair in the second with an RBI single up the middle that scored senior
Kara Apato, who singled and stole second. Two more came across in the inning when sophomore
Ellis Erickson connected for a two-run single that plated Keller and senior
Mackenzie Mahy (walk).
If not for an EKU solo home run in the fourth, Norred would have earned her first shutout in the circle of the season. Despite that, the right-handed sophomore yielded only four hits and one walk in earning her second win of the season. NIU added to its lead with two in the fourth inning on run-scoring singles from
Avery Carnahan and
Sam Mallinder, and four in the fifth on Keller's first home run of the season.
In Game 2, Keller spotted the Huskies an early 2-0 lead in the first when she smacked her second home run of the day, but Southern Illinois countered with a two-run home run in the third to tie the score. Two more long balls, one a three-run shot in the fourth, gave the Salukis a 6-2 advantage and four runs each in both the fourth and fifth innings put the game away for SIU.
"They really came out swinging," Sutcliffe said. "We kind of answered early on but then we couldn't figure out the next pitcher they brought in."
Delaney Ostrowski suffered the loss in the circle as she worked three innings and struck out three batters.
Emily Dato then came on in relief and worked the final four innings, fanning three batters.
NIU (4-4) concludes the Frost Classic tomorrow morning with a 10 am contest against Butler University weather permitting.
"Butler's definitely going to be looking for revenge against us, but we just need to stick to our game plan," Sutcliffe said. "Hopefully we can continue to hit their pitchers and put pressure on them early."
-NIU-
