CEDAR FALLS, Iowa— Splitting action on the final day of the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic, the Northern Illinois University Huskies defeated Butler in the first game in eight innings, winning 6-5. Taking on Drake in the second game, the Huskies fell 7-2 to move to 2-3 on the season.  
 
"I'm proud of how we were able to make adjustments this weekend with quick turnarounds," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Our pitchers did better today, and we were able to improve as a team each game. Our record doesn't show the talent this team has. We are going to get to working on the little things and prepare for another tough tournament in South Alabama."
 
Butler Recap (Butler 5, NIU 6)
 
After a quiet first three innings, Butler was the first to reach the scoreboard in the fourth frame. The Bulldogs singled through the left side before their second batter hit a home run to right field. The Bulldogs hit their second home run of the inning with their third batter to take a 3-0 lead over the Huskies.
 
Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) opened the fifth inning with a base hit. Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) was quick to join her teammate as the Huskies put two runners on base. Keeping the bats hot, Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) recorded the third hit of the inning, an RBI double to send Ramage across the plate. Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) out as Shumaker brought the Huskies within one. Stewart scored the tying run on Isabel Shafer's (Dalton City, Ill./Mt. Zion) RBI single to center field.
 
An eighth inning was needed to determine the victor in the game. Butler added two runs in the top of the inning to take a 5-3 lead over the Huskies. Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) had the first hit of the inning for the Huskies as she sent Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) across the plate. Erickson scored the tying run as Ramage reached base on a fielder's choice. The final batter of the game for the Huskies, Shumaker hit a double that sent Ramage across the plate for the walk-off win.
 
Drake Recap (Drake 7, NIU 2)
 
Drake jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and held the Huskies to a single hit in the bottom of the first from Brianna Pechman (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community).
 
After Drake added to their lead in the third frame, Pechman scored the first run of the day for the Huskies. Kiley Conner (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) scored the Huskies final run of the game in the fourth inning answering a run scored by Drake at the top of the frame.

Drake added one final run in the top of the seventh to hand the Huskies the third loss of the season.
 
Huskie Notes

• Ramage was the only Huskie to record two hits in both games
• Pechman had two stolen bases during the Drake game
• The Huskies had four stolen bases as a team in the Drake contest.

 
The Huskies return to the field, February 16-18 as they travel to Mobile, Alabama. The Huskies will take on Eastern Kentucky, UAB, South Alabama, and Central Michigan in the three-day tournament, hosted by South Alabama.