DeKALB, Ill.—The bats heated up this afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field as the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball program had a combined 23 hits on the day. The Huskies won the first game of the day, 9-2, before dropping the second game of the series, 11-7 in Mid-American Conference action against the Ball State University Cardinals.
 
The four home runs in the first game ties the NIU single game home run record. The last time the Huskies had four home runs in a single game was against DePaul on April 20, 2022.
 
With the games today, the Huskies move to 18-31 on the season and 9-16 in MAC play.
 
"Our bats were hot today and we got off to a great offensive start. Unfortunately, we weren't able to dig ourselves out of a hole in the second game," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "I'm proud of the fight and effort the team put in today to come back in the second game. Ellis (Erickson) continues to do a great job for us, on both sides of the ball. We'll get back to work tomorrow and prepare for Miami this weekend."
 
Game One Recap (NIU 9, Ball State 2)
 
Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) tallied her first home run of the day in the bottom of the inning, sending the ball to left field. The Huskies loaded the bases before collecting their third out of the inning.
 
Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) hit the first of three home runs in the third inning for the Huskies, sending her seventh home run of the season past center field. In her second at-bat, Mathews hit a home run to center field for back-to-back home runs. Avery Carnahan (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) reached base on a single before scoring on Alana Powell's (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) first home run as a Huskie.
 
The Cardinals recorded their first home run of the game to lead off the fourth inning. The Cardinals added their second, and final, run of the game on an RBI single in the bottom of the same inning.
 
Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) hit a double for the first hit of the fourth inning for the Huskies, entering the top-5 in the NIU record book for single-season doubles. Shumaker had an RBI bunt single to bring home Erickson for the sixth run of the game for the Huskies. A 2 RBI single by Mathews brought home Shumaker and Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley).
 
Hitting her third triple of the season, Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) started the Huskies off with a hit in the bottom of the sixth inning. Turner scored the final run of the game for the Huskies on a sacrifice fly from Shumaker.
 
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) issued a single walk in the first three innings as she recorded four early strikeouts. Stewart issued five total walks in the game, allowing only four hits from Ball State.
 
Game Two Recap (NIU 7, Ball State 11)
 
Starting in the third inning, Ball State tallied four straight runs to take a 4-0 lead over the Huskies. The Cardinals ended the top of the third with a three-run home run as they recorded seven runs on seven hits.
 
Shumaker put the Huskies on the board in the bottom of the third frame, scoring on Carnahan's RBI single.
 
The Cardinals added three more runs in the fourth, scoring on a 3 RBI double after back-to-back errors by the Huskie defense.
 
With her ninth home run of the season, Erickson hit a two-run home run to bring home Courtney James (Fishers, Ind./Fishers). Stewart and Shumaker reached on back-to-back singles before Mathews reached via base on balls to load the bases for the Huskies. Carnahan hit a 2 RBI single through the middle of the field to send Shumaker and Stewart across the home plate.
 
The Huskie pitching staff did not allow a hit in the fifth or sixth frames as Turner and Stewart had back-to-back singles in the bottom of the sixth for the Huskies.
 
An RBI single in the top of the seventh scored the final run of the game for Ball State, marking the eleventh run of the game.
 
Emma Giese (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail) scored the sixth run of the game for the Huskies, coming home on Turner's RBI single to left field. Erickson, whose 20th double of the season sent Giese to third, scored on Stewart's RBI sacrifice fly for the final run of the game for the Huskies.  
 
Huskie Notes

• Mathews joins Shumaker as the only other Huskie to record two home runs in the same game during this season. Shumaker had a pair of home runs against Ohio on 4/6.
• Erickson's two doubles in the games today moves her into a three-way tie on the all-time single season doubles list. Erickson joins Katie Keller (2022) and Jill Justin (1987) with 20 doubles in a single season.
• Powell has recorded back-to-back firsts in her debut season, grabbing her first triple against Bowling Green and her first home run in the first game against Ball State.
• Shumaker and Mathews are the lone Huskies to record two runs in the first game.
• In the second game, Shumaker and Erickson were the lone Huskie to have multiple runs.

 
The Huskies will host Miami (OH) for a three-game series starting on May 4 with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. The Huskies will conclude the regular season on May 5 at 12 p.m. against Miami.