Big Third Inning Gives NU 4-2 Win Over MSU On Gothic Jersey Day

Saturday, April 23

Evanston, Ill.

1 p.m. CT

Northwestern

18-23, 9-7

Michigan State

22-24, 4-12

Michigan State

Northwestern

Big Third Inning Gives NU 4-2 Win Over MSU On Gothic Jersey Day

4/23/2016 3:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern recorded just two hits Saturday against Michigan State at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, but one of them was a three-run double that gave the Wildcats the lead for good in a 4-2 victory over the Spartans.

Northwestern now is 18-23 overall, 9-7 in the Big Ten. Michigan State is 22-24 on the year, 4-12 in the conference.

The two teams conclude their series at noon CT tomorrow, Sunday, April 24, on Senior Day. Come early for special senior ceremonies followed by the national anthem performed live by members of the NUSB Hype Squad.

Northwestern played the game in special Gothic jerseys, created by Under Armour and sported by several Wildcats' teams over the past few seasons. NU's softball student-athletes had no idea the new jerseys were coming today, receiving a fun surprise when they entered the clubhouse pregame.

Neither team garnered a hit in the game until the top of the third, when Michigan State used a one-out double and home run to take a 2-0 lead against NU starter Amy Letourneau. Earlier in the contest, MSU had a one-out second-inning walk standing at second base with two outs when the batter smoked a liner to right field, but Fran Strub came rushing forward and went into a headlong dive to catch it and end that inning.

With MSU having the first two chances in the game, Northwestern put together its only rally in the bottom of the third when both Brooke Marquez and Alcy Bush led off with hit…by pitches. With one out, Sabrina Rabin walked to load the bases before Morgan Nelson unleashed the Wildcats' first hit of the day: a smoked ground ball into the gap in left-center field for a double that ended up clearing the bases when the throw back in sailed wildly toward the NU dugout.

Nelson made her way to third on the errant throw, enabling her to score when Andrea Filler drove a ball deep onto the track in center for her fourth sacrifice fly of the year. That play pushed NU's lead to 4-2 after three full frames of action.

With the score the same in the top of the fifth, Michigan State got a one-out base runner via a walk. NU -- which entered the game ranked seventh in the nation in double plays turned -- started a picture-perfect 4-6-3 twin killing to end the inning. Letourneau would retired the final seven Spartans in order in the game to finish off the contest.

NU's second hit of the game came courtesy of a Filler one-out single in the bottom of the sixth, but she was stranded at first base when MSU hurler Kristina Zalewski fanned the next two Wildcats to the plate in what amounted to a true pitcher's duel -- outside of the combined six-run third inning.

Letourneau (8-9) earned the win, going the full seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

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