Friday, February 10
Tucson, Ariz.
2 p.m. CT/1 p.m. MT
Northwestern
1-0
3
vs
2
Tulsa
0-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Northwestern
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
3
7
0
Tulsa
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
8
2
Nicole Bond Pitches Northwestern Past Tulsa, 3-2
2/10/2017 4:59:00 PM | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. – Senior Nicole Bond shook off a shaky first inning Friday to hold Tulsa's offense at bay and lead Northwestern to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricane in the Wildcats 2017 season opener at the Hillenbrand Invitational hosted by Arizona.
Northwestern returns to action in a game scheduled for 8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT against No. 21 Baylor, but that time is likely to be pushed back as each game exceeds its allotted time slot. Stay tuned to @NUSBCats on Twitter for the latest.
After missing her entire sophomore season due to injury, Bond worked just 14.0 innings with an 0-2 record last year as she continued to work her way back to health. Taking the ball in Northwestern's opening game of 2017 and pitching with determination and aplomb, Bond stranded runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings for her first complete game since April 19, 2014.
Bond (1-0) went the distance in 120 pitches, allowing two runs and eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Two-time All-Big Ten selection Sabrina Rabin started her third season of collegiate softball in vintage Rabin fashion, using her speed to force two Tulsa miscues. She led off the top of the first by putting a ball in play in between the first and second basemen, leading to the first baseman ranging too far over and booting it. Rabin then stole second and scored when the throw on Marissa Panko's bunt attempt was not handled at first for a 1-0 NU lead.
Tulsa bit right back in the bottom of the first. Bond drew the Opening Day start for the Wildcats, and retired the first batter she faced. The next three, however, got base hits to push the Hurricane out in front, 2-1, entering the top of the second.
After both teams went 1-2-3 in the second, Northwestern re-opened offensive proceedings in the third. Krista Williams, Rabin and Panko all singled to start the frame, resulting in Williams scoring and Rabin finding her way to third in a 2-2 game. Panko stole second to give the #B1GCats runners at second and third, before -- one out later -- Sammy Nettling beat out an infield single deep behind second base to plate Rabin for the second time in the contest and put NU on top, 3-2, before the inning ended.
Though Bond was cruising, Northwestern had trouble extending its lead. In the fifth, Rabin led off with a single to reach base for the third time in the game, but was erased when Morgan Nelson annihilated a pitch to third that was turned into a double play. Then, in the sixth, Brooke Marquez ripped a two-out single followed by Lily Novak's second walk of the contest, but again Tulsa was able to keep NU off the board.
In the Tulsa half of the fifth, the second batter ripped a one-out double. Bond bore down and stranded the runner at second. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, the leadoff Tulsa batter to the plate also doubled. Bond got a flyout, a strikeout, and then, with the runner at third following a passed ball, a foul out to Nettling behind the plate to keep NU on top.
Rabin singled for the third time in the game in the top of the seventh and stole second, but yet again NU was unable to get Bond an insurance run. In the bottom of the frame, Tulsa got a pair of singles that Nelson just missed at shortstop to put runners at first and second with two outs. No worries as Bond coaxed a can of corn to Williams in center to close out the game.
Rabin reached base in all four of her at-bats, finishing 3-for-4 with two steals and two runs scored to lead the Northwestern offense.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bond, Nicole (1-0)
L: BLEVINS,L (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Panko, Marissa 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1
SH: Panko, Marissa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 2 ; Williams, Krista 1
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 2 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1
Batting:
2B: ESTOCADO,S 1 ; HOLLINGSWORT 1 ; SPELL,R 1
3B: HOLLINGSWORT 1
RBI: HOLLINGSWORT 1 ; WITHEE,Mad 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ESTOCADO,S 1 ; HOLLINGSWORT 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/C
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballOF
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OF
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