Softball Splits Final Day In Evansville, Ind. As Mutter Throws First Career Shutout

OVERVIEW – Mo.-St. Louis & Davenport

SCORES: Northwood 2, Mo.-St. Louis 0 / Northwood 2, Davenport 4

RECORDS: Northwood (5-3), Mo.-St. Louis (4-4)/ Northwood (5-4), Davenport (5-5)

LOCATION: Evansville, Ind. – Blue Bridge Battle

RECAP: Northwood softball finished off their six-game stint in Evansville, Ind. Sunday (February 25) with games against Mo.-St. Louis and Davenport. In game one versus UMSL Brittani Mutter shined, pitching her first career shutout as the Timberwolves prevailed 2-0. In game two, Davenport's lead would be too much as the Timberwolves fell 4-2.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood and UMSL were locked in a pitcher's duel going into the bottom of the sixth. Brittani Mutter was dealing, giving up just five base runners (five hits and one walk) through six innings.
• The Timberwolves had managed five hits leaving three runners on base prior to Ashley Ziel's one-out single that gave the Timberwolves life in the bottom of the sixth. Two hit batters later (Delanie Gale and Jillian Krawczak) loaded the bases for the Blue and White, bringing up Gianna Fantin. Fantin showed situational hitting, singling up the middle to take the lead for the Timberwolves 2-0.
• Fantin's RBI single proved to be the difference maker. The Tritons put runners on first and second with two outs before Mutter would nail down her first career shutout, 2-0.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/7/0, Mo.-St. Louis 0/6/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 3, Mo.-St. Louis 7
• Winning Pitcher – Brittani Mutter (1-0), 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
• Losing Pitcher – L. Sherrick (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 5 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Fantin: 2-3, 2 RBI
• Ashlyn Lundquist: 2-3
• Gale: 1-3, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Davenport went out to the early 1-0 lead in the first. A leadoff walk came around to score on a single two batters later.
• Moving to the fourth, the Panthers extended their lead to 3-0 behind lead-off hit batsmen, followed by a triple and sac fly.
• Freshman Gage Lambert's first career double brought some life to the Timberwolf offense in the sixth. She would score on Lundquist's double to right center in the next at-bat, 3-1 DU.
• Following Lundquist, Ziel made it a one-run ballgame with a single up the middle to score her, 3-2 DU.
• The Panthers would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth from another leadoff walk before a double plated the final run of the game, 4-2 DU.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/5/1, Davenport 4/4/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 3, Davenport 7
• Winning Pitcher – Hailey Whisman (3-2), 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K
• Losing Pitcher – Kamden Binney (1-2), 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 2 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Lundquist: 1-3, 2B, RBI, R
• Lambert: 1-2, 2B, R
• Ziel: 1-3, RBI

UP NEXT

• Northwood softball is set to travel to Auburndale, Fla. for The Spring Games March 7-13. The squad will play a 12-game schedule, opening game one against St. Cloud St. at 10 a.m. followed by game two against Wayne St. (Neb.) at 12:15 p.m. on March 7.