ATHENS, Ohio—Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) went 4-of-4 at the plate today (March 20) as the Northern Illinois University Huskie team fell in the first game of the series against the Ohio University Bobcats, 11-7.
 
NIU (8-8, 2-2 MAC) has recorded five straight games with double-digit hits this season with 12 hits in today's contest. 
 
Stewart had a solo home run in the first inning as she marked her fourth home run of the season. Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) added her third home run of the season as she went 2-of-4 at the plate. Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) was the final Huskie to have a multi-hit game, going 2-of-3 at the plate.

"Offensively, we had a great approach at the plate," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "We out hit them. We will be better in the mound and in the field."
 
The Bobcats (18-10, 2-2 MAC) scored five runs on one hit in the first inning as they took a 5-1 lead over the Huskies.
 
Powell added the second hit of the game for NIU in the second inning as the Bobcats defense kept NIU from scoring.
 
Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) marked her seventh consecutive game with a hit, singling in the third inning. Hanna stole second before scoring on Stewart's RBI single to center field.
 
The Bobcats added to their lead in the second and third innings with a pair of runs as they led 7-2 heading into the fourth inning. Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) doubled to lead of the fourth inning of play as Powell added a hit.
 
The Bobcats added four runs off two hits in the fourth inning, extending their lead to nine at 11-2.
 
Leading off the fifth inning, Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) tripled to right center field to reach base. Nance scored on an RBI single by Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo). A fielder's choice put Hanna on base before a Stewart double sent her to third. Ramage hit a 2 RBI single to send Hanna and Stewart across the plate for the Huskies.
 
The Huskie defense did not allow a Bobcat to reach base in the final two innings of the game.
 
In the final inning, Stewart doubled to right-center, her sixth of the season. On the first pitch that followed, Ramage sent a ball into left field, driving in two runs for the Huskies before the Bobcats recorded the final outs of the game.
 
The Huskies and Bobcats conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon (March 21) in Athens, Ohio. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT with live stats and video provided by Ohio University.
 
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