Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Ally Rodriguez
Brian McWalters
5
NIU NIU 9-11
6
Winner Lindenwood LWU 6-14
NIU NIU
9-11
5
Final
6
Lindenwood LWU
6-14
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
NIU NIU 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 10 0
Lindenwood LWU 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 13 0

W: Cronin,K. (2-6) L: Cassell, Lily (1-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

Late Score Pushes Lindenwood Past NIU in Extra Innings

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Northern Illinois University softball team wrapped up its non-conference slate Tuesday afternoon in a road matchup with Lindenwood at the Lou Brock Sports Complex. The Huskies fell 6-5 in 10 innings, marking the team's longest game of the season. 

"Today was  a good test for the battles we will face in conference," said head NIU coach Christina Sutcliffe. "We need to evaluate and move forward to better our future performances,"

NIU 5, Lindenwood 6
Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) helped the Huskies (9-11, 0-0 MAC) strike first in the opening inning when she logged a sac bunt, scoring Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) who walked and stole two bases to advance to third.

Lindenwood (6-14) struck back in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back RBI doubles, then scored again in the second with a sac fly to take a 3-1 lead.

The Huskies tied the game 3-3 in the third frame when Sam Mallinder (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) singled, and Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) scored. NIU then regained the lead with Brianna Pechman's (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) run thanks to Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) single to center field.

The back-and-forth action continued in the fourth as LU scored a pair of runs to go up 5-4; their lead didn't last long though. Ellis Erickson's (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) first homer of the season couldn't have come at a better time as the junior sent a solo bomb over the left field fence, knotting the contest 5-5.  

From there, both teams traded blows, but neither could record a run before the seventh inning ended. In extras, the Huskies couldn't register a hit while Lindenwood pitchers Avery Wapp and Keighlan Cronin combined for five strikeouts.

In the bottom of the 10th, Dallis Darnell notched the Lions a double to left field before she was sent home in walk-off fashion via RBI single to end the game.

Notes
  • NIU scored five runs off 10 hits and had no errors
  • Lindenwood scored six runs off 13 hits and had no errors
  • Walinski and Mallinder led in the batter's box going 3-5
    • Mallinder owned a team-high two RBI
  • Erickson was 2-5 at the dish with one RBI
  • Shumaker and Cruthers had one hit and one RBI apiece
  • Shumaker led on defense with 11 putouts, a career-high
  • NIU's two triples today tied its season-high
  • The Huskie pitching staff registered eight strikeouts
    • Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) (1-4) led with four, a career-high
Up Next
With its non-conference schedule in the books, NIU opens Mid-American Conference action at home with a three-game weekend series starting this Friday (March 17) at 3 p.m. CT. On Saturday, a doubleheader is on deck with game times at 1/3 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field. NIU softball games are free to attend.

"We look forward to opening MAC play this weekend and playing at the Bell in front of our fans."

 
Print Friendly Version