DeKALB, Ill.—A sixth inning push helped lead the Northern Illinois University softball team past the University of Massachusetts this afternoon, 3-2. The Huskies (10-9, 4-3 MAC) posted a 3-2 win over the Minutewomen (8-18, 1-6 MAC) in the first of a three-game series.
 
Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) matched her career-best of seven strikeouts as she marked her third complete game of the season.
 
Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) was 2-for-2 at the plate as she added a pair of runs for the Huskies.
 
"Maddy Carlson set the tone right from the beginning and she has been a part of each and every game. For her to set the tone and be confident, she kept us in the game until the bats got hot," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "Kayla did a great job leading us off with a walk and then Cara taking the next base. And then AP (Alana Powell) came through with two hits today and did a great job. It goes back to us setting the pace."
 
Carlson got right to work, recording consecutive strikeouts in the first inning as both teams went three up, three down.
 
Powell recorded the first hit of the game in the bottom of the second, a triple to right field before being stranded on the bases.
 
UMass broke through in the third with back-to-back singles and took advantage of a Huskie miscue to push across two runs.
 
Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) and Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside), who each recorded a pair of hits in the contest, had back-to-back hits in the third before the UMass defense collected three straight outs.
 
Powell drew a walk in the fourth, stole two bases, and ultimately delivered NIU's first run of the game, scoring as Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) was caught in a rundown for the final out.

Carlson added a pair of strikeouts in the fifth inning as the teams continued to battle on the diamond.

Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) drew a walk to lead off the sixth inning before Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) entered as a pinch runner. Powell singled, and advanced to second, as Cruthers scored the tying run of the game. After a sacrifice bunt sent Powell to third, a Jones Estrada RBI single sent Powell across the plate for the winning run.
 
Carlson added her final two strikeouts in the seventh inning as the Huskies took game one of the series.
 
Action resumes tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in a doubleheader in the Huskies' strikeout cancer game. Action will take place at Mary M. Bell Field and admission is free.
 
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