BOWLING GREEN, Ohio— A four-RBI day from
Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) helped the Northern Illinois University Huskies complete a doubleheader sweep of Bowling Green State University. The Huskies (21-12, 14-5 MAC) opened the afternoon with their first shutout of the season, a 9–0 five-inning win in game one, before closing out the day with a 3–1 victory over the Falcons (17-24, 5-15 MAC)
This is third straight series where the Huskies have earned a run-rule victory this season.
Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) went 2-for-4 in the second game and scoring once. Stewart was a combined 4-for-8 in both games, two runs scored, as she recorded her first back-to-back games with multiple hits since the Ball State series (4/7-4/8).
"They did great today. We were efficient, took a couple innings to get going, but we kept putting the ball in play and make things happen," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "Dee Dee (Stewart) had two great games at the plate and in the mound. Maddy (Carlson) came out and set the tone and shut them down in the beginning. Jenna has been our lead-off and she sets the tone. We have a mentality of pass-the-bat to your teammates. They've bought into it and they are just confident right now. We'll watch film tonight and be ready to play."
Game One Recap (NIU 9, Bowling Green 0 | 5 Innings)
Madison Carlson, who improved to 9-0 on the season, started in the circle for the Huskies and struck out the first two batters. Carlson went the distance and added two more strikeouts to her day for the Huskies as she allowed only two hits.
The Huskies broke the game open with a six-run surge in the third inning, starting with a single to left from
Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside). She came around to score the game's first run on a throwing error, setting the tone for the inning.
Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) followed by scoring on Stewart's RBI double to center. Stewart then crossed the plate as
Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) reached on an error.
Alanah Velazquez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) added another run on
Alana Powell's (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) RBI single, and
Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) capped the rally with a sharp 2-RBI single to score Powell and
Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake).
Stewart hit her seventh home run of the season, sending it to center field for the Huskies seventh run of the game.
Bowling Green got their first hit of the game in the fourth inning, a single to center field, before being stranded on the bases.
With two outs, a pair of walks put Nance and Ramage on base. Hanna then stepped in and reached on an error, allowing both runners to score and extending NIU's lead to 9–0 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) collected the final two outs as NIU won their first shutout game of the season.
Game Two Recap (NIU 3, Bowling Green 1)
It was a tight start, as neither team recorded a hit through the first two innings, with each side drawing a pair of walks.
Nance got the hit started with an infield bunt as she was joined on base with a base hit from Turner. Hanna added the third hit of the game to load the bases with no outs in the inning. Stewart hit her 14th double of the season, scoring Nance and Turner to start the scoring for NIU.
Matching the first game, the Falcons did not record their first hit until the fourth inning, a single to left field before being left stranded on the bases.
NIU had two hits in the fifth inning before Powell hit a double in the sixth to reach base. Powell scored the final run of the day for NIU on Ramage's RBI single.
Bowling Green saw their lone run of the day come from a solo home run shot to left field as they recorded two hits in the seventh inning.
The Huskies and Falcons will conclude their three-game series tomorrow, April 18. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT.
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