DeKALB, Ill.—Splitting action on senior day, the Northern Illinois University Huskies (18-26, 12-11 MAC) took the first game of a doubleheader against the Zips of the University of Akron before falling in the second game. The Huskies shutout the Zips, 3-0, before falling 3-2 in the second game.
NIU's shutout win over the Zips in the first game was their fifth shutout win this season.
Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) was 3-for-3 at the plate in the second game after going 2-for-3 in the first game.
Prior to the first game, the NIU softball program honored their four seniors,
Avery Carnahan (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston),
Kacie Quick (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West), Mathews, and Pechman. All four saw action in action today.
"Our pitchers did a great job in both games today," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "We have to reset for Western on Tuesday. That's been our theme all year, take a breath, and prepare for the next game."
Game One Recap (NIU 3, Akron 0)
Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) singled in the second inning as
Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) scored on the play.
Natalie Miller (Fredonia, Wis./Ozaukee) marked her third straight game with a hit to send Powell across for the second run of the inning.
Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) took over pitching duties in the first game for the Huskies, marking four strikeouts in the first four innings.
Mathews sent her seventh home run of the season into the bottom of the scoreboard in the fifth inning as the Huskies extended their lead to three. Ramage and
Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) had back-to-back singles in the inning before the Zips collected the final out.
Cassell struck out the first batter for the Zips in the sixth inning before the Zips offense placed a runner at third. Cassell claimed her eighth strikeout of the game as the Huskies claimed a shutout win.
Game Two Recap (NIU 2, Akron 3)
Akron hopped on the scoreboard first in the second game, taking a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.
Mathews recorded the first hit of the game for the Huskies in the second inning as the Huskies looked for their first run of the game.
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) retired four straight batters as
Brianna Pechman (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago Community) had her first hit of the game in the third.
Powell had an RBI single to centerfield in the fourth inning as
Alanah Velazquez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) tied the game at one for the Huskies.
Stewart marked her 11th double of the season in the sixth inning before Carnahan came into the game as a pinch runner. Mathews singled to the shortstop as Carnahan was able to score on an error by the Zips defense to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
The Huskies defense collected two quick outs in the seventh and final inning before the Zips were able to reach on a walk. Akron would put two runs on the board in the seventh to hand the Huskies a 3-2 loss.
Looking Ahead
Looking at the conference standings, the Huskies sit in sixth in the MAC standings. The top six teams will advance to the MAC Tournament, May 7-10 in Akron, Ohio.
The Huskies will conclude the home portion of their season on Tuesday, April 29 as the Western Michigan University Broncos are set to visit Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies and Broncos have first pitch set at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader.
