The Comeback Kids: Softball Comes Back and Wins Two Versus Wayne State

OVERVIEW – Wayne State Warriors (Mich.)

SCORES: Northwood 5, Wayne State 4 / Northwood 3, Wayne State 2

RECORDS: Northwood 17-8, Wayne State 12-17 / Northwood 18-8, Wayne State 12-18

LOCATION: Fisher Stadium – Midland, Michigan 

RECAP: The Timberwolves battle to sweep the two games today versus Wayne State (April 14). NU pushed their win streak to four games and showed their ability to play when things were tough. 

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Warriors jumped out to an early lead via a passed ball that moved a runner to second and was knocked in by a single, 1-0 WSU.
• Northwood answered right back in the bottom half of the first with a lead-off single by Alexis Koehler and RBI double to the right-center gap by Delanie Grundman, 1-1.
• Wayne State countered quickly, scoring two from three hits and a sac fly in the top of the third, 3-1 WSU.
• A two-run laser over the leftfield by Haley Frank tied the game at three, her second home run of the season.
• Emily Cox would come in to relieve Shayna Frank with runners on first and second with one out. WSU scratched one across behind a bases-loaded with one out situation. A ground out to first would make it 4-3 WSU. 
• The back-and-forth affair would continue as Brittany Steimel hit a nuke over the leftfield fence to make even the score, 4-4 in the fourth. Steimel has homered in two of the last three games and is now tied for the team lead in home runs this season (3). 
• Following Steimel, Madison Jordan would walk, and Gianna Fantin would lace one to right-center to score her from first, 5-4 NU.
• Cox would right the ship by only allowing two hits for the remainder of the game. Northwood would prevail, 5-4. 

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 5/6/0, Wayne State 4/10/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 2, Wayne State 7
• Winning Pitcher – Emily Cox (2-0) 3.2, 2 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
•  Losing Pitcher – Paige Ameel (5-9) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 5 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Koehler: 2-3, 2 R
• H. Frank- 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Steimel: 1-3, HR, RBI, R
• Fantin: 1-2, 2B, RBI
• Grundman: 1-3, 2B, RBI
• Cox: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS 

• WSU looked threatening in the first three innings, putting a runner on third every inning. The Warriors would be turned away as Hailey Leister wouldn't budge.
• Wayne State would score the opening runs in the top of the fifth when a single to right was muffed, allowing the runner to score from first. The batter ended on third, and WSU would utilize a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.  
• Emily Cox would come in relief in the sixth for the second straight game, this time for Hailey Leister.
• Northwood's bats woke up in the sixth when Delanie Grundman and Emily Mankel got back-to-back singles up the middle. Brittany Steimel and Krista Moe came up clutch two more back-to-back singles to center to tie the game at two-all.
• Still in the sixth, Northwood runners would advance to second and third on a wild pitch. Madelin Skene's sacrifice fly would score Caroline Polites give the Timberwolves the lead, 3-2.
• Cox would get her second win on the day in the next inning with a strikeout followed by two groundouts to seal the deal, 3-2 NU.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 3/9/2, Wayne State 2/7/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 8, Wayne State 7
• Winning Pitcher: Emily Cox (3-0) 2.0, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K 
• Losing Pitcher: Emily Karas (2-3) 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K 

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Steimel: 1-2, RBI, BB
• Moe: 1-1, RBI
• Skene: 0-2, RBI, SF
• Grundman: 2-3
• Cox: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K

UP NEXT

The Timberwolves are set to play tomorrow at 3 & 5 PM versus Grand Valley in Fisher Stadium.