Softball Earns Sweep On Final Day In Florida

OVERVIEW – Missouri - St. Louis & Purdue Northwest

SCORES: Northwood 8, Missouri - St. Louis 1 / Northwood 6, Purdue Northwest 2

RECORDS: Northwood 13-9, Missouri - St. Louis 10-9 / Northwood 14-9, Purdue Northwest 8-7

LOCATION: The Spring Games – Leesburg, Fla.

RECAP: Northwood softball traveled to Clermont, Fla. for their annual spring break trip this week. They finished their trip with a doubleheader versus Missouri - St. Louis and Purdue Northwest (March 11). Big innings highlighted the day in both games. The Timberwolves beat UMSL, 8-1, behind a six-run third and later won versus PNW, 6-2, behind a five-run sixth.  

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• A quiet first started the game for both teams, but in the second Ashlyn Lundquist's double to right center gave Northwood the momentum. Madison Jordan followed up the hit with a single to right to put runners on first and third with one out. Two batters later Gabby Schloop muscled a bloop single down the left field line, putting defenders in no man's land and allowing Schloop and Jordan to advance to second and third, 1-0 NU.
• Northwood's offense started moving in the third. Delanie Gale (HBP), Brittany Steimel (BB), Lundquist (BB), and Jordan (BB) led to another NU run before a pitching change with two outs.
• Following the change in the third, Gianna Fantin's single scored one to keep the two-out bases loaded rally alive, 3-0 NU. 
• Still in the third, Schloop collected her second and third RBI of the game with a single to center to score Fantin and Lundquist, 5-0 NU.
• Haley Frank showed off her speed to cap off the third. Frank lined a blistering triple off the right-center wall, scoring Northwood's sixth run of the third, 7-0 NU.
• The Tritons would gain one back later in the sixth behind a leadoff triple. That runner would score off a single to right two batters later, 7-1 NU.
• Singles by Lundquist and Jordan led off the seventh for the Blue and White. Fantin's double to right center would allow NU to score one more, 8-1 NU. The lead would not be squandered, and Northwood would win 8-1.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 8/11/1, Missouri - St. Louis 1/4/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 8, Missouri - St. Louis 6
• Winning Pitcher – Hailey Leister (8-4) 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K
• Losing Pitcher – Anna Borowitz (2-3), 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 4 BB, 1 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Schloop: 2-4, 3 RBI, R
• Frank: 1-5, 3B, RBI
• Lundquist: 2-3, 2B, 3 R, BB
• Fantin: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Gale: 1-1, BB, 2 HBP, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Two and a half innings in, the teams were still scoreless going into the bottom of the third. Madelin Skene earned a walk to bring up Lundquist. She then pounded a double off the left-center wall, scoring a pinch-running Chloe Cooper from first, 1-0 NU.
• Brittani Mutter was awarded her first career start on the mound. Mutter only allowed three baserunners through four innings, but in the fifth, the Pride threatened a solo homer to tie it before a single forced a pitching change, 1-1.
• Still in the fifth, the Pride would take the lead with a walk followed by a single to right to score the runner from second, 1-2 PNW.
• Like in the third, Skene led off the sixth by getting on base, this time a single through the left side. Two batters later, Steimel drew a walk before Karlie Moore came up with the hit that swung momentum back to NU. Moore's double to left center score one and put runners on second and third with one out, 2-2.
• Fantin kept the rally going with a double of her own to left center, giving Nu the two-run advantage, 4-2 NU.
• Frank and Gale each would tack on an RBI single to put the Timberwolves out in front 6-2 heading into the seventh. The five-run sixth totaled five runs on five hits with two walks. The Timberwolves' sixth inning proved to be the dagger as NU won 6-2.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 6/9/2, Purdue Northwest 2/6/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 7, Purdue Northwest 7
• Winning Pitcher: Hailey Leister (9-4) 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
• Losing Pitcher: Emma Hill (3-1) 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R (6 ER), 3 BB, 1 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Moore: 1-1, 2B, RBI, R
• Fantin: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
• Lundquist: 1-3, 2B, RBI
• Frank: 1-4, RBI, R, SB

UP NEXT

• Softball is scheduled to travel back to Midland, Mich. before traveling to Ferris St. on March 22 to play the first true away game of the season. Games in Big Rapids, Mich. are scheduled for 2 & 4 p.m.