NIU softball (17-11, 11-5 MAC) swept a doubleheader against the Kent State Golden Flashes (17-21, 7-10 MAC), on Saturday at Mary M. Bell Field, winning their fifth straight game and moving to second place in the Mid-American Conference.
The Huskies won Game 1 9-8 via walkoff and Game 2 15-3 in five innings.
“We talk about believing in the team, and we’re tougher together, and that’s just what we’ve been going off of,” NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason said. “They’re just so resilient, nothing phases them.”
GAME 1
NIU trailed early, as the Golden Flashes made it to home in the second inning off a sacrifice foul out.
Junior outfielder Katy Ramage evened the score for the Huskies in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice flyout.
Loud contact was made against NIU’s ace Madison Carlson (8-0) in the fourth inning, who allowed four additional earned runs to give the Golden Flashes a 5-1 lead. Despite this, Carlson still earned her eighth win of the season.
The outing dropped Carlson to second in the MAC in earned run average (2.88) and third in opposing batting average (.249).
Junior pitcher Hannah Bolly relieved Carlson in the fourth inning and pitched the remainder of the game. Bolly gave up 3 earned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks.
The deficit once again did not dissuade the Huskies, who began to chip away at the lead.
Junior middle-infielder/outfielder Alana Powell and senior catcher/outfielder Rylie Hartman both drove in runs in the bottom of the inning to close the gap.
Hartman put another run on the board in the 6th off a double. She went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI’s and a walk.
An error by the Kent State shortstop tied the game for the Huskies.
The tie did not last however, as the Golden Flashes hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning which put them up 8-5.
NIU was once again not deterred as a series of hits, including a walkoff double by senior pitcher/utility player Danielle “Dee Dee” Stewart gave the Huskies another comeback win.
“We’re better together, so using that momentum throughout the week, and just staying together as a team, I think that really helped us,” Stewart said.
GAME 2
NIU’s offense erupted in Game 2, scoring 15 runs on 14 hits in five innings.
Despite being held to three runs, Kent State started the scoring, taking a 2-0 lead off a pair of singles in the first.
The Huskies responded with five runs in the bottom of the first inning, headlined by junior catcher/first-baseman Kayla Estrada’s double to tie the game.
NIU scored 10 runs in the second inning, which sealed the win for the Huskies. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for sophomore utility player Mia Morera, who hit a grand slam, her fourth home run of the year. Morera was 2-for-2 with 5 RBI’s and a walk.
A couple singles and a walk loaded the bases once again for the Huskies for graduate student middle-infielder/outfielder Jenna Turner, who hit the second grand slam of the inning – her first home run of the season.
“That was honestly the coolest feeling ever,” Turner said. “I think the best part about it was just seeing all my teammates at home running down the third baseline. That was the real moment.”
Sophomore pitcher/second baseman Taylor Mackin (2-1) started the game for NIU, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. Mackin struck out one batter and earned the win.
Stewart pitched the rest of the game, throwing three scoreless innings on one hit and striking out five.
“I told the girls after the game, we got to give props to Coach Brie Pasquale,” Gleason said. “She gives them a plan, and they really trust it and stick to it. They were disciplined in their own as bats to wait for their pitch, because they knew that they wanted to hit, and they knew they’d get it.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies will conclude their series against the Kent State Golden Flashes at noon Sunday at Mary M. Bell Field. The game will be streamed on NIU All-Access and stats will be available via SIDEARM Sports.
