Emily Cox Throws No-Hitter As Timberwolves Split With KWC

OVERVIEW – Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers

SCORES: Northwood 6, Kentucky Wesleyan 7 (8 Innings) / Northwood 10, Kentucky Wesleyan 0 (5 Innings)

RECORDS: Northwood (22-11, 9-3 G-MAC), Kentucky Wesleyan (15-17, 6-6 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Midland, Mich. – Fisher Stadium

RECAP: Northwood softball hosted the Panthers from Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday (March 30). The Panthers took game one in eight innings, 7-6. In game two,  Northwood's Emily Cox would throw a no-hitter combined as the Timberwolf offense exploded en route to a 10-0 win in five innings.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a two-RBI double to left center in the first.
• Northwood answered right back in the next half-inning. Gabby Schloop opened the first with a single to left and Delanie Gale followed with a walk before Ashley Ziel homered again to left field, giving the Timberwolves a 3-2 lead.
• Kentucky Wesleyan led off the fifth with a double. The Panthers' rally continued as a walk put runners on first and second before a KWC double to center tied, that game at 3-3.
• KWC tacked on two more with their third double of the inning, making it a 5-3 lead for the Panthers.
• The Panthers extended their lead to 6-3 in the fifth with an RBI single through the left side.
• Northwood wouldn't go away quietly in the seventh. Northwood put three aboard via Jillian Krawczak's and Brittany Steimel's hit-by-pitches (HBP) with a Gale single in between. Ziel stayed red hot with a double to the left-center, clearing the bases and tying the game at 6-6.
• The Panthers rallied for the final lead of the game in the eighth with an RBI groundout, giving KWC a 7-6 lead. That lead proved to be the difference as KWC prevailed.
• Ziel's six-RBI game is the first since Ashlyn Lundquist against Clarion on March 4, 2023.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 6/8/2, Kentucky Wesleyan 7/8/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 10, Kentucky Wesleyan 8
• Winning Pitcher – Kristyn Murphy (4-5) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
• Losing Pitcher – Kamden Binney (3-6) 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Ziel: 3-4, HR (4), 2B, 6 RBI, R
• Gale: 2-4, 2B, BB, 2 R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood's offense came to play in game two. Schloop's leadoff double, Gale's walk, and a single from Ziel gave the Timberwolves a 1-0 lead and Ziel her seventh RBI on the day, 1-0 NU.
• Elexia Fuentes kept the line moving in the first, roping a sac fly to center far enough to score Gale, 2-0 NU.
• Karlie Moore capped the NU first with a single back up the middle to score Ziel from second, 3-0 NU.
• Northwood kept the offense rolling in the second. Schloop earned a free base with an HBP before another Gale walk to put runners aboard for Steimel. Steimel later singled up the middle to extend the lead up to 4-0.
• Ziel recorded her eighth RBI of the day one batter later singling down the left field line, plating Gale, 5-0 NU.
• A bases-loaded walk from Jordan capped the second straight three-run inning for the Timberwolves, 6-0.
• In the third, the Timberwolves offense continued to pour it on behind a two-run shot from Steimel. This was Steimel's ninth homer of the season.
• In Ella Wagner's first career at-bat in the fourth, the freshman lined one off the top of the fence for a double to put runners on second and third for Ashlyn Lundquist. Lundquist tacked on an RBi single to give NU a 9-0 advantage.
• Gage Lambert added Northwood's final run of the game with a single to left to score Wagner from third, 10-0 NU.
• Emily Cox continued to pound the zone from the circle. Cox went nearly unblemished, throwing a no-hitter which was the first for NU since March 5, 2022, versus Wayne St. (Neb.). Cox has now won 10 starts in a row and holds an 11-1 record with a 1.05 ERA.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 10/10/0, Kentucky Wesleyan 0/0/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 7, Kentucky Wesleyan 1
• Winning Pitcher – Emily Cox (11-1), 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 6 K
• Losing Pitcher – Allie Dunn (2-6), 1.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R (6 ER), 3 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Ziel: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
• Steimel: 2-3, HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 R
• Schloop: 1-1, 2B, BB, 2 R
• Wagner: 1-1, 2B, R
• Jordan: 1-1, RBI, 2 BB, R
• Lambert: 1-1, RBI
• Gale: 0-2, 2 BB, 2 R

UP NEXT

• Northwood hosts No. 7 Grand Valley St. Wednesday afternoon in Midland.  The first pitch of the doubleheader begins at 3 p.m.