DeKALB, Ill.—Opening the home portion of the season, the Northern Illinois University Huskies (7-13, 2-0 MAC) opened Mid-American Conference play with a sweep of the Central Michigan University Chippewas (7-15, 0-2 MAC) in a doubleheader this afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies won the first game 5-2 before winning in the second game by a score of 6-2.
 
Today's wins were the first consecutive wins for the Huskies against the Chippewas since the 2019 season.
 
Each of today's games featured an inning where the Huskies scored three runs.
 
The Huskies recorded nine hits in the first game and no errors in the first game. In the second game, the Huskies matched their first game's nine hits and saw a pair of strikeouts from Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone).
 
"It was a great day to play at in front of our home crowd and (on) Mary M. Bell Field. We had two great pitching performances from Dee Dee (Danielle Stewart) and Lily," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "We executed the short game and had situational hitting. The defense played well, despite the windy conditions. I was proud of the all-around effort and execution to start conference play."
 
Game One Recap (NIU 5, CMU 2)
 
Central Michigan struck first, scoring on an RBI double to center field in the second inning.
 
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) recorded the singled to left field before Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) recorded a single to center field as the Huskies left two stranded in the bottom of the second.
 
Loading the bases with a walk and back-to-back singles, Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) hit a 2 RBI single to send Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) and Brianna Pechman (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) across the plate. Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) added a third run in the inning as NIU tallied three runs off two errors to take a 3-1 lead.
 
Pechman scored the fourth run of the game on a Turner RBI double in the fourth before Mathews led the fifth inning off with a home run to center field.
 
The Huskies defense held strong, allowing just two hits between the fourth and sixth innings. The Chippewas pushed one across on a sacrifice fly for the final run in the game as the Huskies snapped a five-game losing skid.
 
Going the distance in the circle, Stewart recorded seven strikeouts.
 
Game Two Recap (NIU 6, CMU 2)
 
Leading off for the Huskies, Turner tripled to right field before coming home on a sacrifice fly by Mathews.
 
Holding the Huskies to just two runs in the second, the Chippewas tied the game up at one in the third on an RBI double to center field.
 
Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) scored the second run of the game for the Huskies after recording a steal on the bases in the fourth. The Huskies continued the scoring streak as Mathews scored in the fifth to give NIU a 3-1 lead over Central Michigan.
 
Central Michigan brought the game within one with their second double of the inning in the sixth.
 
Ramage scored her second run of the game on a Kacie Quick (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West) RBI single in the sixth. A Turner RBI single would secure the victory for the Huskies as she and Quick scored the final two runs of the game.
 
The Chippewas loaded the bases in the top of the seventh before the Huskies defense recorded a lineup to third to end the game and sweep the day.
 
Huskie Highlights

• In the first game, Stewart recorded seven strikeouts, a season-high for the junior.
• Mathews recorded her third home run this season in the first game.
• Turner marked her first triple of the season and fourth of her career as a Huskie in the second game.
• Cassell went the distance for a third time this season, pitching all seven innings of the second game.

 
The Huskies and Chippewas will conclude their series on March 15 at 1 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field.