Softball Sweeps Doubleheader Versus Ashland On Senior Day

OVERVIEW – ASHLAND

SCORES: Northwood Timberwolves 6, Ashland Eagles 5 (8 innings)/Northwood 9, Ashland Eagles 6

RECORDS: Northwood 20-17, 8-12 GLIAC/Ashland 18-20, 8-12 GLIAC

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood swept a two-game GLIAC set against Ashland Tuesday (April 24), winning a thriller in the first contest 6-5 (8 innings) thanks to Karli Godlewski's walk-off home run before coming out on top 9-6 in a back-and-forth affair in the second game.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Ashland struck first in the top of the second. A single and double to right field put runners on second and third with one out, and an RBI groundout followed, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the inning.
• Northwood answered quickly in their half of the second. Torriya Gray-Baker and Sydni Culps each reached base on singles to lead off the inning, then moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Brooke Wauters brought them both home with a three-run shot off the scoreboard in left field to put the Timberwolves in front 3-1 going into the third.
• Ashland finally provided an answer in the top of the fifth inning. A lead-off single and groundout moved the runner to second with one out. Back-to-back RBI doubles erased Northwood's lead and tied the game at 3-3 headed into the bottom of the fifth.
• Once again, the Timberwolves were able to answer swiftly the next time they came to the plate. After Meghan Franz lead off the inning with a double, Sydni Pauley connected on a two-run homer over the left field fence, restoring the two-run lead heading into the sixth.
• The Eagles did not go quietly in the seventh. Back-to-back one-out singles put runners at first and second and a groundout moved both to second and third with two outs. With the game on the line, a two-run single tied the game at 5-5 and Northwood needed to respond one more time with the bats.
• The Timberwolves indeed responded once more in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Karli Godlewski took flight for Northwood's third bomb of the day, a walk-off shot that gave Northwood the victory.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 6/14/0, Ashland: 5/12/0
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 8, Ashland: 6
• Winning Pitcher – Makenzie Norton (4-3): 8 IP, 12 H, 5 R (5 ER), 3 K, 1 BB
• Losing Pitcher – Paige McMenemy (7-8): 3.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 K, 0 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• S. Pauley: 3-4, HR, 1 R, 2 RBIs
• B. Wauters: 1-4, HR, 1 R, 3 RBIs
• T. Gray-Baker: 3-4, 1 R
• K. Godlewski: 3-4, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Godlewski's home run was the first of her collegiate career in her 58^th career game.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood continued their momentum from the walk-off win by scoring first in the very first inning. Tara Gross reached on an error, Franz singled and Pauley reached on an infield single to load the bases. Abby Joseph and Gray-Baker cracked back-to-back singles to make it 2-0.
• Game 1 hero Godlewski added to the lead later in the frame with an RBI single to left, extending the lead to 3-0 going into the second.
• Ashland was able to cut into the deficit in their ensuing at-bats. After a lead-off single and one-out walk put runners at first and second, a two-run single to right field made it a 3-2 game halfway through the inning.
• Northwood restored their edge right away. Gross doubled off of the left field fence to lead off the inning, and Franz provided an encore with a double of her own to score her and increase the lead to 4-2 heading into the third.
• Trading blows with the Timberwolves, the Eagles chipped away again in the third. A lead-off home run to right reduced the lead to one going into the bottom half of the frame.
• In a game of back-and-forth, it was Northwood's turn to respond. Godlewski lead off the inning with a triple and Wauters reached on an error to put runners at first and third with one out. Gross plated Godlewski with an RBI infleld single to make it 5-3. Pauley brought two more home with a two-run double to left, extending the lead to four going into the fourth.
• Ashland rebounded for the third consecutive frame. A lead-off single, wild pitch, and groundout moved a runner to third with one out. Back-to-back RBI singles followed and trimmed the lead to 7-5.
• The Eagles kept on coming in the fifth. After an error and single up the middle put runners at first and third with one out, an RBI single to left drew Ashland to within one heading into the bottom half of the frame.
• Northwood added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth. Pauley singled, Joseph bunted her over to second, and Gray-Baker reached on a hit-by-pitch. Culps brought two of her teammates home with a line drive double to right, building the lead back up to 9-6 heading into the seventh. That would be all Norton needed as she ended the last inning scoreless.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 9/13/3, Ashland: 6/11/4
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 9, Ashland: 9
• Winning Pitcher – Makenzie Norton (5-3): 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 K, 1 BB
• Losing Pitcher – Hannah Stroe (0-3): 5.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R (6 ER), 5 K, 1 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• S. Pauley: 3-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• S. Culps: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• T. Gross: 2-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI
• M. Franz: 2-4, 2B, 1 R, RBI

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Tara Gross scored at least two runs in a game for the seventh time this season.

UP NEXT

• Northwood will host Ferris State on Wednesday (April 25) for a doubleheader against the Bulldogs for a short two-game series. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.