Softball Captures G-MAC Tournament Title With 2-1 Walk-off Win Over Findlay

OVERVIEW – No. 5 Findlay

SCORES: Northwood 2, Findlay 1

RECORDS: Northwood (35-18, 17-9 G-MAC), Findlay (34-20, 17-9 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Akron, Ohio – Firestone Stadium

RECAP:  Northwood softball captured its first conference tournament title in program history Saturday (May 4). The Timberwolves took down the 5-seed Findlay Oilers for the second time in the tournament, 2-1, to go a perfect 4-0. They earned the auto bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Teams were scoreless going into the top of the third when Findlay put runners on second and third with one out. Emily Cox found a way through the Oilers' threat to keep it scoreless getting a lineout to short and flyout to center.
• In the fourth, Ashley Ziel led off with a walk. A Findlay defensive miscue later, and Northwood had runners on second and third with one out. Delanie Gale's cue shot infield single to second brought home Ziel to give Northwood the 1-0 lead.
• Findlay put two on in the sixth and would tie it at one with a deep single to center, 1-1.
• Both pitchers would limit the offense the rest of the way as they would head to extras.
• Gabby Schloop led off the Timberwolves' half of the eighth with a double down the left field line. Gale would move her to third before Ziel and Brittany Steimel walked to load them for Madison Jordan. Jordan brought it to a full count before a hit-by-pitch walked it off, bringing home Schloop, 2-1 NU.
• Northwood captured its first G-MAC Tournament Championship with a 2-1 win as they earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/3/1, Findlay 1/4/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 4, Findlay 5
• Winning Pitcher – Emily Cox (19-5), 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K
• Losing Pitcher – Kayla Dykin (4-8), 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K

NU TOP PERFORMERS

• Schloop: 1-2, 2B, R, BB
• Jordan: HBP, RBI

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• This season, the Timberwolves' 35 wins mark the most single-season wins in Gregg Sauve's tenure and the most for the Timberwolves since 1997 (35-23, 14-8 GLIAC).
• Northwood went 4-0 this tournament with two wins over No. 5 Findlay, and a win versus No. Trevecca Nazarene and No. 6 Cedarville.

UP NEXT

• The Timberwolves earn the automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament and will find out their destination, seed, and opponent Monday (May 6) during the NCAA selection show at 10 AM ET on NCAA.com.
• This marks Northwood's third trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history (2005, 2021, 2024) and the second trip under Sauve.