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Danielle Stewart 2024
Scott Walstrom, NIU
10
Northern Ill. NORTHERN 9-24
11
Winner Bradley BRADLEY 19-19
Northern Ill. NORTHERN
9-24
10
Final
11
Bradley BRADLEY
19-19
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northern Ill. NORTHERN 0 0 6 0 1 2 1 10 13 5
Bradley BRADLEY 0 1 0 0 4 1 5 11 7 3

W: C. Schaller (1-6) L: Bolly, Hannah (0-3)

5
Winner Northern Ill. NORTHERN 10-24
3
Bradley BRADLEY 19-20
Winner
Northern Ill. NORTHERN
10-24
5
Final
3
Bradley BRADLEY
19-20
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northern Ill. NORTHERN 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 5 6 0
Bradley BRADLEY 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 10 1

W: Dato, Emily (1-4) L: S. Kennedy (13-7) S: Carlson , Madison (1)

Game Recap: Softball |

Stewart's Grand Slam Helps Huskies Split with Bradley

PEORIA, Ill.— Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) hit her first career grand slam in the second game as the Northern Illinois University softball team split action in a non-conference doubleheader against the Bradley University Braves.
 
Bradley took game one in a walk-off fashion, defeating the Huskies 11-10. The Huskies matched a season-high 13 hits in the first game (Akron on 3/24, 13 hits).
 
The Huskies had a pair of home runs in the second game, including Stewart's grand slam to end a five-game losing streak.
 
The Huskies now move to 10-24 on the season and 3-9 in Mid-American Conference action.
 
"Our offense showed up today with 10 runs in the first game and 20 hits on the day as a whole," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "I loved the bounce back and fight the team had today especially after dropping the first game after having the lead. Ellis is having a phenomenal year for us, and she is bringing power with her each at bat. The team we were in the second game is who we can be. It's figuring out how to do that consistently and being confident each time we are at the plate.

Game One Recap (NIU 10, Bradley 11)

Bradley struck first in the game, scoring on an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning.

Opening the third inning, the Huskies saw hits from Cara Cruthers (Barlett, Ill./South Elgin), Madison Mathews (Lutz, Fla./Cibola), and Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom). Erickson hit her 13th double of the season, sending Mathews and Cruthers across the plate. Erickson scored the third run of the game as Caitlyn Shumaker's (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) reached on a fielder's choice. The Huskies weren't done in the third inning, as Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) hit a 2 RBI single to send home Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) and Shumaker. Ramage was the final Huskie to score in the inning, coming home on Alana Powell's (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) RBI single to center field.

Stewart singled to right field to start the fifth frame and would quickly score as Ramage hit an RBI single. With back-to-back steals, Ramage stole third and was left stranded as the Huskies faced back-to-back outs.

In the sixth frame, Erickson singled to right field before stealing second base. Erickson scored her second run of the game as Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) reached on an error. Shumaker scored her second run of the game, coming home on Stewart's RBI double to center field.

Bradley scored five runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth before adding an additional run in the sixth frame.

Avery Carnahan (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) singled to open the seventh inning of play and stole second base for her first steal of the game. Carnahan scored as Mathew's reached on a fielder's choice for the tenth run of the game.

Bradley scored five runs on three hits in the final inning to walk the game off and post an 11-10 win over the Huskies.

Game One Recap (NIU 5, Bradley 3)

Erickson homered to left field to start the top of the first inning, her sixth home run of the season.

The Huskies reached first base on a hit-by-pitch the second inning but were unable to capitalize on the base runner.

In the top of the third frame, the Huskies quickly loaded the bases as Erickson recorded a double, Turner singled, and Shumaker reached on a passed ball. Hitting her third home run of the season, Stewart homered to left field to bring the Huskies lead to five. This was the first grand slam since Kelly Walinski on April 26, 2023.

The Huskies would be held to three hits for the remainder of the game as Bradley pushed runs across in the third, fifth, and sixth innings.

Emily Dato (Munster, Ind./Munster) collected her first win of the season, facing 26 batters.

Huskie Notes
  • Erickson marked her fourteenth consecutive game with a hit. Erickson's 14-game hit streak matches Jenny Van Geertry's 14-game hit streak, which occurred from April 12 to May 10, 2019.
  • In the first game, Erickson, Stewart, Ramage, Carnahan, and Cruthers all recorded two hits in the game.
  • The first game marked the sixth game with two or more runs for Shumaker and the third game for Erickson.
  • With seven stolen bases in the first game, that is the second most for the Huskies this season.
  • Erickson had two hits and two runs in the second game, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Erickson has now recorded 14 doubles on the season.
  • Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) had her third multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 at the plate in the second game.
The Huskies return to Mary M. Bell Field on April 12-13 as they host Toledo University for senior weekend. The series starts on April 12 at 3 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on April 13 with first pitch at 1 p.m.
 
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