AUSTIN, Texas—Splitting the first day of their 2026 campaign, the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team took on Abilene Christian and (RV) Ohio State at the Bevo Classic, hosted by the University of Texas. The Huskies (1-1) defeated the Wildcats of ACU (0-9) by a score of 7-5 before falling to the Buckeyes (3-2), 7-2.
 
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) scored three runs in the first game of the day against Abilene Christian as she went 2-3 at the plate.
 
Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) and Stewart were the lone Huskies to score in the second game of the day
 
"Overall, it was a good first day," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "We are figuring out who we are in all three aspects of the game. It was great to be out on the dirt and get the chance to play as a team."
 
Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) made her debut in the Huskie uniform, starting as the Huskies left fielder, with her first collegiate hit coming in the second inning against Abilene Christian.
 
Abilene Christian Recap (NIU 7, ACU 5)
 
The Wildcats of Abilene Christian struck first, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) answered for the Huskies with a 2 RBI double up the middle to send Stewart and Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) across the plate. After Ramage advanced to third on a wild pitch, she was brought home on an RBI double to left field by Hartman as NIU led 3-1 at the end of the first.
 
The Wildcats added four runs on three hits in the second inning to take a 5-3 lead over NIU.
 
Hartman added the fourth run of the day for NIU in the third inning before a pair of strikeouts left three runners stranded. Hartman's RBI single down the right field line the fourth sent Stewart across the plate to tie the game at five.
 
Leading off in the sixth inning, Stewart hit her first home run as she put the Huskies up by one. Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) scored the final run on Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif/Westlake) sacrifice fly out to left field
 
Ohio State Recap (NIU 2, Ohio State 7)
 
NIU held the Buckeyes to just one hit in the first inning before Emma Tolley hit a home run to left center field to put Ohio State on the board in the second.
 
Hartman, who reached base on an error by Ohio State, would score in the bottom of the second to tie the game.
 
After a scoreless third inning from both teams, Ohio State added two runs on two hits in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead before adding to their lead in the fifth.
 
Stewart added the final run of the game for the Huskies in the sixth inning, scoring off Morera's RBI single.
 
The Buckeyes added three runs on five hits in the final inning of play as they defeated the Huskies.
 
The Huskies face the Wildcats for a second game on February 14 with first pitch set for 12 p.m. NIU will also face Syracuse on the second day of the Bevo Classic with a first pitch set for 7 p.m.
 
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