DeKALB, Ill.— A nine-run first inning helped the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team take the series against the Bulls of the University at Buffalo on a snowy afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field. The Huskies (8-7, 2-1 MAC) defeated the Bulls (8-16, 1-2 MAC), 16-8 in five innings, which included a 40-minute snow delay during the third inning.
 
This was the Huskies' third victory achieved in five innings this season.
 
Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) went 4-of-4 at the plate and scored two runs in the contest. Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) went 3-of-4 at the plate, scored twice, and recorded 4 RBIs in the contest.
 
"I was proud of the way we started the game and battled through the entire game," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "We were resilient in all three facets of the game. It was a great day again through challenging weather conditions. I'm proud of the entire team to get the series win."
 
Leading off the first inning, the Huskies had three straight doubles as Stewart's double scored the first two runs of the game. Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) hit her third home run of the season as the Huskies took a 5-0 lead in the middle of the inning. Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) hit a two RBI double to left field as the Huskies continued to add to their lead. Stewart recorded her third RBI of the inning, sending Hanna across for the ninth run of the game.
 
A two-run home run to left field put the Bulls on the scoreboard in the second inning as they held the Huskies without a score in the bottom half. Buffalo hit three consecutive home runs in the third inning, including a three-run shot to center field as the trimmed the Huskies lead to two. An RBI double brought them within one at 9-8 before the Huskie defense collected back-to-back strikeouts.
 
Nance and Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) opened the third inning with back-to-back singles to reach base. An RBI double from Stewart to left field sent Nance across the plate for the tenth run of the game. With runners on second and third, the game was paused due to snow causing visibility issues for the teams. Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) hit a two RBI double to send Stewart and Turner across the plate. Cara Cruthers (Barlett, Ill./Elgin) scored the final run of the inning on an RBI triple by Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township).
 
The Huskies allowed only one hit in the final two innings of play as Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) recorded a strikeout in the fourth.
 
The Huskies tacked on two runs in the fourth to go up 15–8. Morera opened the fifth with a single up the middle. After a hit from Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher), Nance delivered an RBI single for the walk-off as Morera crossed the plate.
 
The Huskies hit the road for a three-game series at Ohio, March 20-21. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT on March 20 in Athens, Ohio.
 
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