Softball Wins One, Loses Close One On First Day Of Blue Bridge Battle

OVERVIEW – Davenport & McKendree

SCORES: Northwood 7, Davenport 3 / Northwood 1, McKendree 2

RECORDS: Northwood 5-1, Davenport 3-3 / Northwood 5-2, McKendree 5-2

LOCATION: Blue Bridge Battle – Evansville, Ind.

RECAP: Northwood softball traveled to Evansville, Ind. to play six games at the Blue Bridge Battle hosted by Kentucky Wesleyan. In Northwood's first two games of the trip, they would defeat Davenport, 7-3, followed by a close loss to McKendree, 2-1.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• NU's first two batters reached safely (error and walk) in the first before Delanie Gale's single with one out would load the bases. Madeline Skene showed patience, earning a walk to score the team's first run, 1-0 NU.
• The Wolves tacked on two more in the first behind a Madison Jordan single to left with the bases loaded, 3-0 NU.
• Ashlyn Lundquist kept the rally going in the first, doubling home Skene from second to extend the Northwood lead, 4-0 NU.
• Gale's second hit of the day would score Ashley Ziel from second in the second, 5-0 NU.
• Northwood would score just one off a bases-loaded opportunity in the third behind a ground out from Jillian Krawczak, 6-0 NU. 
• Davenport wouldn't go down without a fight. The Panthers would collect their first three hits of the day while scoring on a two-run double in the fifth, 6-2 NU.
• DU would keep clawing their way back into the game, scoring an unearned run in the sixth, 6-3 NU.
• Steimel's lineout back to the pitcher caused chaos in the seventh as a failed back pick to third allowed Haley frank to score, 7-3 NU. 
• A 1-2-3 seventh inning would send the Timberwolves home with a win, 7-3. 

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 7/8/2, Davenport 3/4/3
• Runners left on base: Northwood 7, Davenport 4
• Winning Pitcher – Hailey Leister (3-1) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Kelsey Byers (1-1), 2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Jordan: 2-2, 2 RBI, R, BB
• Gale: 2-4, RBI, R
• Lundquist: 2-3, 2B, RBI

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Brynn Polega struck out the side to begin the game in the first. Neither team would budge in the runs allowed department until the fifth. 
• It was a tight ball game throughout, the Bearcats managed to score one in the fifth behind an HBP, stolen base, and a single to right center, 0-1 MU.
• The Bearcats would score again in the fifth behind a walk with the bases loaded, 0-2 MU.
• Gianna Fantin would cut into the Bearcat lead in the sixth an RBI single to center to score Jordan from second as she beat the throw from center, 1-2 MU. 
• Northwood would get a runner on in the seventh but fall in a close one, 2-1 MU.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 1/6/1, McKendree 2/9/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 7, McKendree 12
• Winning Pitcher: Ellie Quaethem (4-0) 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher: Brittani Mutter (1-1) 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Fantin: 1-1, RBI, BB
• Skene: 2-3
• Ziel: 2-4
• Jordan: 0-1, R, 2 BB

UP NEXT

• Softball will do battle with Ill.-Springfield at 11 a.m. EST followed by #14 Indianapolis at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday (February 25).