Softball Splits Pair In Florida

CLERMONT, FLA. – The Northwood University softball team split a pair of games Tuesday afternoon (March 10). NU dropped a 5-1 contest t Queens (NY) before earning a 4-3 win in eight innings over Indiana (PA).

The Timberwolves are now 1-8 on the season.  Queens is 1-2, while IUP stands at 1-6.

Queens took control of Northwood's first game of the day in the first inning, going up 3-0. The Knights then added single runs in the third and the fourth to go up 5-0. The Timberwolves got on the board in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Maddison Sebald (Bay City, Mich./Western). Northwood got a pair of runners on base in the seventh but were unable to score, giving Queens the win.

The Knights out-hit the Timberwolves 9-6 for the game. NU drew six walks in the game and left eight runners on base. Sebald went 2-3 with a double and an RBI to lead the Northwood offense. Freshman Brooke Wauters (St. Clare Shores, Mich./Lakeshore) finished the game 2-3.

Northwood got off to a good start against IUP, plating three runs in the opening two innings.  The Timberwolves pulled off a successful double steal in the first inning, as Jessica Tostrud (Kenosha, Wisc./Mary D. Bradford) and Hayley D'Avilar (Georgetown, Ont./Christ the King Catholic Secondary) combined to steal second and home to put NU up 1-0. The in the second inning, Ashley Lynn (Garden City, Mich.) had an RBI double and was later driven in by Tostrud on an error by the first baseman.

IUP chipped away at the Northwood lead, scoring one run in the third and the fourth before tying the game in the bottom of the seventh.  NU responded by earning the win in the eighth inning.  After a runner was put on second base to open the inning, the Timberwolves successfully sacrificed the runner to third base. Freshman Megan Franz () then plated the game-winning run on an error on a ground ball. Northwood then held IUP off the board in the bottom of the inning to earn the win.

For the game, Northwood out-hit IUP eight to six. IUP did draw eight walks but left 13 runners on base in the game.

Franz finished the game 2-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Lindsey Obremski (Williamsburg, Va./Dubois Area) had two hits and a walk, Lynn had an RBI and a run scored. Vanessa Ewing (Maybee, Mich./Dundee) picked up the win, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out nine.

Northwood will return to action Thursday evening (March 12) versus Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State. Game times are set for 5 & 7 p.m.