AKRON, Ohio—Despite a late rally in the fifth and seventh innings, the No. 2-seeded Northern Illinois University (25-17) softball team fell in eight innings to No. 6-seeded Western Michigan University Broncos (28-24), 8-3.
Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) went 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in one run and scoring twice for the Huskies. She was the only Huskie to have a multi-hit game.
Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) collected three of the Huskies strikeouts as she pitched five innings this afternoon.
How It Happened
Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) collected the first two outs of the game before the Broncos reached base via a walk. Western Michigan scored their first run on a double to deep left-center field before the Huskies ended the inning.
Western Michigan added a run in the third inning before Ramage got the Huskies first hit of the game. The Broncos collected the final two outs of the inning as Ramage was left stranded on the bases.
A home run by Western Michigan in the fifth gave them a three-run lead over the Huskies as the Huskies collected the final out.
Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) led off the inning for the Huskies with a single to first base before scoring on Ramage's RBI double to left-center field. A
Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) single moved Ramage to third base as the Huskies had no outs in the inning.
Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) recorded a sacrifice fly to score Ramage as the Huskies trimmed the lead to one. NIU left one runner on base as the Broncos collected the final two outs of the inning.
After a scoreless sixth inning that saw a combined three hits, the Huskies allowed only one hit in the top of the seventh.
Ramage drew a walk to lead-off the bottom of the inning before advancing on a sacrifice bunt.
Ava Falcone (Elk Grove Village, Ill./James B. Contant) drew the second walk of the inning before a
Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) single sent Ramage across for the tying run. NIU left the bases loaded as the Broncos got the final two outs of the inning.
Western Michigan drew a walk to start the eighth inning before scoring two runs just three plays later. The Broncos added three more runs as they defeated the Huskies 8-3 in only the second extra inning game this season for the Huskies.
With the loss the Huskie move to the consolation bracket. They will play the No. 4 Ohio at 1:30 pm CT at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
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