Softball Completes Sweep Versus Walsh In Midland On Rain Soaked Day

OVERVIEW – Walsh

SCORES: Northwood 6, Walsh 4 / Northwood 6, Walsh 3

RECORDS: Northwood 32-21 (14-8 G-MAC)/ Walsh 20-22 (12-11 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Midland, Mich.- Fisher Stadium

RECAP: Northwood softball played the Cavaliers of Walsh Friday (April 28). A tale of two weather games defined the day. The Timberwolves bats did enough to carry themselves to their first sweep since April 8 (Ursuline), winning 6-4 and 6-3.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Walsh jumped out to an early 0-3 lead via a three-run homer over the left field fence in the top of the second.
• Haley Frank cut the Walsh lead to one following Jillian Krawczak's leadoff walk to pen the third. She blasted her fourth home run of the season deep over the left field foul pole, making it 2-3, WU. This was Frank's 10th career home run.
• One inning later Northwood would take the lead back. Lauren Bennett's walk started the rally before a Krawczak single and an error loaded the bases for Ashley Ziel. Ziel would tie it 3-3 with a single up the middle to score Jenna O'Berry.
• Delanie Gale gave the Timberwolves the final lead following Ziel with a moonshot home run over the left field fence, 6-3 NU. This was Gale's fourth home run this season.
• The Cavs would later score an unearned run in the seventh as Hailey Leister locked down her 21^st victory this season (fourth most for a single season in NU history).

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 6/6/2, Walsh 4/6/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 7, Walsh 8
• Winning Pitcher – Hailey Leister (21-8) 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 10 K
• Losing Pitcher – Sara Gockenbach (8-8), 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (3 ER), 6 BB, 2 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Gale: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB
• Frank: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Ziel: 1-2, RBI, R, 2 BB

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Similar to game on, but this to right center, Gale homered again, this opening the scoring in the first, 1-0 NU.
• An error would cost the Timberwolves a run in the second after two singles later scored the runner, 1-1.
• One inning later the Cavaliers would take a 1-3 lead behind three straight singles to lead off the third. The Cavs scored their second off a sac fly.
• Moving to the fifth, with Northwood down 1-3 the Timberwolves managed runners on the corners with two outs for Ziel. Like game one Ziel took advantage of the runners on base and tied it at three as she laced a double under the glove of a diving center fielder. This would score Krawczak and Cooper, 3-3.
• Two batters later after Gale would get aboard on another error. Brittney Steimel nuked her third home run of the season to give them the 6-3 advantage. This was Steimel's 10^th home run of her career.
• Emily Cox was stellar in relief, throwing 2.1 innings of no-run softball as she earned the win before Leister would nail it down in the seventh, taking the save.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 6/7/2, Walsh 3/8/2
• Runners left on base: Northwood 3, Walsh 6
• Winning Pitcher: Emily Cox (3-0) 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 1 K
• Losing Pitcher: Lindsey Leeds (3-3) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Steimel: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Gale: 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 R
• Ziel: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI

UP NEXT

• Softball is set to take on the fourth-place Findlay Oilers tomorrow (April 29) in a doubleheader starting at 1 & 3 p.m. for their final set of games of the regular season.
• The Timberwolves will celebrate senior day following the action.