BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University softball team's bid at a three-game sweep against Bowling Green State University to open Mid-American Conference play just came up short in a 7-3 decision Sunday morning.

Resumed from Saturday morning after rain halted play in the top of the second inning, Game 3 saw the Huskies connect for 14 hits, including doubles from Katie Keller and two from Kelly Walinski. But NIU couldn't overcome a five-run Bowling Green fifth inning that included a three-run home run from the Falcons designated hitter.

"Our production when we had runners in scoring position just wasn't there today unfortunately when there's was," Huskies head coach Christina Sutcliffe said, "and that was the difference."

NIU fell behind 2-1 after two innings, but then erased the deficit in the fifth inning. Avery Carnahan reached on a fielding error and scored when Walinski connected for a double down the left field line. Walinski then came around on a single up the middle from Sam Mallinder.

"Anytime you're in game three of a series both teams kind of know each other by then," Sutcliffe said. "So the hitters are making adjustments and it's up to pitching and defense to make the adjustment back. So we kind of expected a little bit of a higher scoring game than what happened Friday but unfortunately we couldn't string our hits together in a timely manner."

Huskies starting pitcher Emily Dato was strong through the first four innings as she yielded only two runs and retired the last five batters she faced, but a BGSU leadoff walk to start the fifth, followed by a single opened the door for the Falcons. In all, Dato struck out four batters and walked three.

"What we learned from this weekend is if we go in with a plan and we execute it correctly we're going to come out successful," Sutcliffe said. "So we'll just need to go to work on a different plan coming up this week."

NIU nearly came back in the top of the sixth after it loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back singles from Bianca Barone and Ellis Erickson followed by a Kara Apato single up the middle two batters later, but BGSU ended the threat by inducing a strikeout to end the frame. Keller then led off the top of the seventh with a double to right center and Walinski followed with a single to right-center, but the next three batters went down in order.

Walinski finished a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate and Apato went 3 for 4 to lead the Huskies (8-10, 2-1), who resume action with their home opener Wednesday afternoon against non-conference opponent Illinois State at 3 p.m.

-NIU-