It was a sharply hit ground ball.

NIU designated hitter Bailey Ouellette pushed a ball to the right side of the infield off the tip of her bat.

There were no outs and it was only the first inning of the Huskies’ home game against MAC frontrunner Kent State.

NIU had a runner in scoring position with shortstop Krista McPherson on third.

Prior to the ball being put in play, NIU coach Lindsay Chouinard told McPherson to be aggressive on the base path and run on contact.

“You’ve got to try and make things happen,” Chouinard said. “I told her ‘If you see the ball on the ground, take off. That’s our style of play this year. We want to be aggressive.”

It only makes sense to try and get the early run on the board when you have a chance against the Golden Flashes. With a team ERA of 1.50 and 13 shutouts on the season, not many teams get an opportunity like that. The Huskies weren’t about to waste theirs.

As the ball left the bat, KSU first baseman Jamie Fitzpatrick moved into position and fielded the ball cleanly.

None of that mattered to McPherson, who was charging hard from third.

“As soon as I saw the ball hit the bat, I took off,” The senior said. “I knew it was going to be a close play because it was hit right at the first baseman and the catcher was setting up.”

McPherson is just the person NIU would want running in that situation. The speedy leadoff hitter’s nine stolen bases this season leads the team.

As she approached home so did the ball. A quick instinctive reaction shifted McPherson behind the catcher leaving just a glimpse of home plate vulnerable.

“I touched the very tip of the plate with the tip of my finger,” McPherson said. “I didn’t feel a tag either.”

Home plate umpire Kevin Haun agreed.

“Safe.”