DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team opened Mid-American Conference play in its home opener against the Akron Zips Saturday at Mary M. Bell Field. After falling 12-9 in extra innings to start the day, the resilient Huskies thundered back to win the closer 4-2 on the cold and breezy day.
"I think when you're putting up that many runs in the first game, you have got to figure out how to win," said head NIU coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "We had a chance to win it in the seventh, but just couldn't get off the field. But to be able to bounce back and get the second game, even after getting out-hit, by finding ways to create some runs is key,"
Game One | NIU 9, Akron 12
The doubleheader's opener proved to be an offensive slugfest as each team recorded 12-plus hits and combined for 21 runs.
The action began when Akron (11-9, 1-1 MAC) scored a pair of runs in the second to break the scoreboard's zeros.
The Zips' initial lead didn't last long as NIU (10-12, 1-1 MAC) racked up three runs in the home half of the second to take its first lead.
Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) started the Huskies' scoring, laying down a beautiful bunt which helped
Brianna Pechman (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) get to home plate.
Kacie Quick (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West) then scored Cruthers after her RBI double to left field, tying the contest 2-2.
The Huskies took the lead after another perfect bunt, this time from
Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine), which helped Quick race home.
Akron knotted the game 3-3 in the third, but NIU responded with back-to-back RBI singles from
Delaney Ostrowski (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo) and Cruthers.
NIU inflated its lead to 7-3 in the fourth inning after
Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) scored thanks to a Zips' error before James batted in Shumaker in the ensuing at-bat.
Akron began its comeback in the fifth when they exploded for four-straight runs, tying the game 7-7. Later in the sixth, they took the 8-7 advantage with an RBI double.
A massive two RBI single from Walinski in the bottom of the sixth gave NIU a brief 9-8 lead, but the Zips tied the game yet again in the seventh after a NIU error. Akron retired the side in the Huskies' at-bat, signaling extra innings.
NIU lost control in the eighth when an overthrow to first base allowed three runs to score. In the Huskies turn to bat, their fate was sealed after back-to-back groundouts and a K ended the game.
Notes
- NIU scored nine runs off 12 hits and had three errors
- Akron scored 12 runs off 13 hits and had two errors
- The three Huskie arms that made appearances in the circle combined for six strikeouts
- Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) fell to 1-5 as the pitcher of record
- James was 2-5 at the dish and had one RBI
- Walinski was 2-3 and had a team-high two RBI
- Cruthers was 2-3 with one RBI and a stolen base
- Shumaker and Pechman had one stolen base as well
- Rodriguez was 2-4
Game 2 | NIU 4, Akron 2
The Huskies showed great resiliency as the team shook off game one's loss and dug deep to rebound in the DH closer.
With
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) starting in the circle, it was a pitcher's duel as no runs were scored until the fourth inning.
Rodriguez got NIU on the board with a RBI single, scoring Shumaker who was planted on third after a massive triple, the Huskies' first hit of the ballgame.
Two at-bats later, two-way player Stewart and Rodriguez executed a flawless double steal. In Akron's attempt to catch the baserunners stealing, the throw went long, giving Rodriguez the greenlight to score on the error. NIU's lead increased to 3-0 when a wild pitch allowed Stewart to race home as well.
The shutout fell just short as the Zips came within one run after a two RBI double down the left field line in the top of the sixth. Not shaken though, NIU held strong.
Walinski gave the Huskies a security run in the bottom half of the inning with a groundout RBI. From there Cassell, who came in to pitch the final two outs of the sixth, shut the door on the Zips in the top of the seventh, stranding two runners and earning the save.
"I just think that's our deal, right? It's rise up, it's having intention in everything you're doing. We're going to take a punch, but we're going to get back up and we're going to punch harder the second time. So as long as there's an out left on the scoreboard, our team thinks we can win. That's our goal, and we're going to move forward with that mentality,"
Notes
- NIU scored four runs off three hits and had one error
- Akron scored two runs off six hits and had two errors
- Shumaker was 2-3 with a stolen base
- Rodriguez was 1-3 with two stolen bags
- Stewart increased her record to 4-5 and fanned one batter
- She stole one base on offense
- Cassell logged her second save of the year
Up Next
NIU returns to the road for a three-game series with Miami. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT on Friday (March 24). Saturday (March 25) will feature a doubleheader with start times of noon CT and 2 p.m. CT.
The squad will then trek to Oxford for three mid-week contests with Miami on Tuesday (March 28) and Wednesday (March29).
"We're going into a tough stretch here. We've got Miami and Ball State within 48 hours, it's going to be a tough little road trip for us. But, you know, we just have to go one game at a time. Any given day, anybody can beat anybody. It doesn't matter what your name is on that jersey. We're just concentrating on ourselves. We'll start prepping for (Ball State and Miami) tomorrow. We'll see what ends up happening, but at the end of the day, we just have to stay true to who we are and not worry about who they are,"
