Softball Comes Back In Game Two, Earning Sweep Over Ursuline

OVERVIEW – Ursuline

SCORES: Northwood 2, Ursuline 0 / Northwood 8, Ursuline 7

RECORDS: Northwood (28-15, 15-7 G-MAC), Ursuline (5-28, 0-18 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Midland, Mich. – Fisher Stadium

RECAP: Northwood softball swept the visiting Ursuline Arrows in Saturday's (April 20) doubleheader. In game one, Emily Cox pitched a gem for the 2-0 win before the Timberwolves mounted a five-run comeback in game two for an 8-7 victory.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Going into the bottom of the fourth, teams were scoreless. Elexia Fuentes' leadoff double would come around to score the game's first run via a groundout from Karlie Moore, 1-0 NU.
• A bases load walk from the Timberwolves' Madison Jordan one inning later brought in another to put NU out in front 2-0.
• Northwood's two runs were the only runs of the ballgame, thanks to another dominant outing from Emily Cox. Cox collected a career-high 12 strikeouts in her seven innings thrown. She didn't give a walk and allowed just one hit in the contest.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/6/1, Ursuline 0/1/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 9, Ursuline 1
• Winning Pitcher – Emily Cox (14-3), 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 12 K
• Losing Pitcher – Liza Barbato (1-10), 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 5 BB, 6 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Steimel: 2-3, 2 2B,
• Fuentes: 1-3, 2B, R
• Moore: 0-1, RBI, BB

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• The Arrows took advantage of a misthrown ball by the Timberwolves in the first. The errant throw put runners on the corners for a groundout to open the scoring, 1-0 UC.
• The Timberwolves answered by loading the bases via walks before Delanie Gale single home one to tie it at 1-1.
• Fuentes followed Gale with a two-run single to give NU the 2-1 advantage.
• A 2-1 ballgame going into the top of the fourth turned quickly for the Timberwolves. An Ursuline six-run fourth gave the Arrows a five-run lead, 7-2 UC. The Arrows totaled six hits in the inning.
• Northwood looked to make a comeback starting in the fifth. Jenna O'Berry and Gabby Schloop opened the inning by getting aboard for Ashlyn Lundquist to drive them in from first and second with a double to the left-center gap, 7-4 UC.
• NU capped their fifth with back-to-back doubles from Madison Jordan and Delanie Gale to cut the lead to one, 7-6 UC.
• A UC miscue in the sixth proved to be the turning point of game two. Jillian Krawczak led off the sixth with a double to left center before advancing to third. Schloop's long foul ball brought her in to tie the game at 7-7.
• Brittany Steimel's hard groundball went through the legs of the defender, which gave NU the lead back for good, 8-7 NU.
• Brynn Polega picked up her seventh win, slamming the door in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 8/9/1, Ursuline 7/7/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 14, Ursuline 5
• Winning Pitcher – Brynn Polega (7-1), 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K
• Losing Pitcher – Bri Bowles (1-4), 2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Lundquist: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Gale: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Jordan: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
• Krawczak: 1-4, 2B, R
• Schloop: SF, RBI, 2 BB, R

UP NEXT

Northwood is back in action Sunday (April 21) as they host Lake Erie in a doubleheader starting at noon.