DeKALB — Softball won its final regular season series when they defeated the University of Toledo Rockets in two of its three games this weekend.
NIU (30-19, 15-9 Mid-American Conference) fell in Friday’s game, 6-3, but defeated the Rockets (24-34, 11-13 MAC) in Saturday’s first game, 9-6, and the second game, 13-4.
The Huskies finished second in the MAC West Division behind the Central Michigan University Chippewas.
Friday’s game — Rockets 6, NIU 3
Senior middle infielder Kali Kossakowski tripled to right center field to score Bekah Harnish, junior catcher and infielder, to cut into Toledo’s lead, 4-2, in the bottom of the second inning.
Alaynie Woollard, junior catcher and infielder, and Kossakowski pulled off a double-steal that scored Kossakowski and moved Woollard to second base, but the Rockets kept the Huskies at bay after that.
Kossakowski went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored.
Woollard went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
Harnish finished 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Junior pitcher Tara Thacker took the loss after pitching two and 1/3 innings. Thacker gave up four runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Sophomore pitcher Alex Frenz pitched four and 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits with one walk.
Saturday’s game one — NIU 9, Rockets 6
A five-run fourth inning was enough for the Huskies to race past the Rockets in Saturday’s first game.
Sophomore outfielder Jenny Van Geertry hit a home run to left field to score herself along with sophomore utilityman Abby Howlett and Woollard.
Harnish doubled to left field to score sophomore outfielder Jessica Rio to give the Huskies a 6-4 lead.
Senior first baseman Kayti Grable singled up the middle to score Harnish and tack on more run for the Huskies in the inning.
Van Geertry finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Kossakowski went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Rio went 1-for-2 with one run scored, a walk and a stolen base.
Thacker (9-10) sealed the win for the Huskies after pitching four and 1/3 innings. Thacker gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit with three walks and a strikeout.
Frenz pitched two and 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits with one strikeout.
NIU added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kossakowski singled to score Grable and Van Geertry. The runs were unearned because of an error by Toledo’s senior catcher Ashley Maynard.
Saturday’s game two
The Huskies broke out for nine runs in the bottom of the third inning and never looked back in their final regular season game. The game ended in five innings because of softball’s run rule.
Kossakowski hit a grand slam down the left field line to score Grable, Rio and Harnish.
Howlett singled up the middle to score sophomore outfielder Katie Lamich and Woollard.
Van Geertry doubled to left field to score sophomore infielder Dominique Greeno and Howlett to give NIU a 9-1 lead.
Woollard reached base on a fielder’s choice that advanced Grable to second base, Harnish to third base and scored senior outfielder Jordyn Bowen to add one more run to the Huskies lead.
Grable went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Rio finished 1-for-1 with one walk and a run scored.
Howlett finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a stolen base.
Junior pitcher Keegan Hayes (8-3) picked up the victory for NIU after pitching all five innings. Hayes gave up four earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and seven walks.
Freshman outfielder Kayla Scaperrotta doubled to right center field to score senior third baseman Rebecca Rupard and freshman middle infielder Kalalaelisa Toomalatai to make it a 12-1 game in the fourth inning.
Grable added one more hit when she doubled to score Harnish.
Toledo answered with two runs at the top of the fifth inning, but Hayes closed the game after that.
The Huskies will travel to the MAC Championship Wednesday at Fireball Stadium in Akron, Ohio
— Rockets 6, NIU 3
