TOLEDO, Ohio. – Toledo's two out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning gave them a walk-off win to close the three-game series with the Northern Illinois University softball team Sunday afternoon at Scott Park Softball Complex.
"Today was a great, competitive game of back-and-forth action," said head NIU coach
Christina Sutcliffe. "The ball just didn't fall our way today, but we are excited to get back to 'The Bell' this week to take on Western Michigan."
NIU 5, Toledo 5
Two solo homers on pitcher
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) gave Toledo (18-22, 11-11 MAC) a 2-0 lead after two frames of action.
The Huskies (21-21, 11-9 MAC) took their first lead of the ballgame in the top of the third inning after plating three runs.
Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) started things off with an RBI single to right field, scoring
Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine). Then, a passed ball helped
Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) race home from her position on third base.
The inning was capped after
Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) wore one with the bases juiced, allowing Walinski to trot home.
The Rockets tied the game 3-3 with a sacrifice fly in their turn to bat in the third frame, but NIU held a brief 4-3 edge in the fifth with
Cara Cruthers' (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) sac bunt which scored
Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East).
Toledo tied the contest again in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double, but Walinski matched with an RBI double of her own in the sixth to give the Huskies a 6-5 lead.
With no insurance runs scored in the seventh, the Rockets' solo home run in the last frame tied the game 5-5, signaling extras.
In the eighth,
Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) got in scoring position after walking and stealing second, but back-to-back strikeouts and a fly outs stymied NIU's at-bat. In the bottom of the eighth, a Toledo RBI single ended the game in walk-off fashion.
Notes
- NIU scored five runs off seven hits and had no errors
- The Rockets scored six runs off seven hits and had no errors
- Walinski led in the batter's box going 3-5 with two RBI
- Stewart (9-9) pitched a complete game with two Ks
Up Next
The Huskies return to Mary M. Bell Field Tuesday and Wednesday for a three-game series with Western Michigan. A single game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader Wednesday at 1/3 p.m. is on deck.
