Saturday, February 10
Tempe, Ariz.
12:45 p.m. CT/11:45 a.m. MT
Northwestern
2-1
11
vs
3
Boise State
3-2
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Northwestern
1
2
2
3
3
11
12
3
Boise State
1
0
0
0
2
3
3
4
#B1GCats Best Boise State at Kajikawa Classic
2/10/2018 2:15:00 PM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Kenzie Ellis threw a complete-game three-hitter and Northwestern scored in every single inning to run-rule Boise State Saturday at the Kajikawa Classic, 11-3 (5).
Northwestern improves to 2-1 on the season while Boise State now is 3-2. Northwestern is back in action immediately against Indiana in a non-conference game at the Kajikawa Classic.
For the third-straight game to start the 2018 season, Northwestern took the field as the visitors and scored right away in the top of the first. Sabrina Rabin doubled to start the contest and stole third one out later before first-year Rachel Lewis slotted a single through the left-side hole to give NU the quick 1-0 edge.
Boise State and its boisterous offense were quick to counter in its half of the first. A leadoff walk from Northwestern starter Ellis turned into a run when the Broncos got a pair of singles later in the frame. Ellis was able to notch a pair of strikeouts, including one for the final out to strand a runner at third.
The Wildcats rallied for two more in the top of the second, beginning when Lily Novak singled, Sammy Nettling walked and Brooke Marquez walked to load the bases with one out. Ellis drove in the first run herself with an RBI groundout before Rabin ripped a two-out single up the middle for the second run, pushing NU back out in front, 3-1.
Midway through that rally, Boise State replaced starter Tori Bivens with Veronica Lynch to quell Bivens sudden bought of wildness.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second for Ellis, the #B1GCats offense got on their horse and rode a rally to two more runs. Morgan Nelson started the rally with a walk and a steal before Kenna Wilkey wacked a double to right to make it 4-1. Pinch runner Emma Bartz took over for Wilkey at second, racing home when Novak singled again just past the reach of the second baseman for an RBI single and a 5-1 NU lead.
NU doubled its pleasure in the fourth, beginning when Marissa Panko beat out an infield single. She scored all the way from first on a Lewis double, and Lewis herself scored when Nelson doubled to the fence in left center, making it a 7-1 game. Boise State inserted Gianna Mancha into the circle in relief during the doubles, but the rally still continued with a Wilkey walk and a Novak fly ball that was caught deep enough to allow Nelson to tag and head to third. Those 60 feet became another run when Marquez drove a fly ball to medium deep left where it was caught, allowing Nelson to scamper home for an 8-1 NU edge.
In the top of the fifth, the game entered run-rule territory. Rabin led off with a single and stole second, then moved to third on a Panko sacrifice bunt in which the third baseman somehow kicked the ball out of the pitcher's glove for an error. A perfect double steal where the throw went into center allowed Rabin to come home, then Nelson beat out a bunt single in which the throw sailed into right field for the third Broncos error of the frame. Panko scored on the miscue. Later on, after a Novak walk, Novak and Nelson pulled a double steal to account for the final 11-run total.
In the bottom of the fifth, a leadoff single and two later throwing errors allowed two Boise State runs to come home, but that was all in the game.
Ellis went the distance, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Rabin scored twice in the game to give her three runs scored on the season and 154 runs in her career, sending her past Marisa Bast for third all-time in Northwestern history for runs scored.
Rabin also led NU at the plate with three hits and two runs scored. Nelson scored three times and had two hits. Panko scored twice, Lewis knocked in a pair and Novak picked up two base hits, as well.
Northwestern improves to 2-1 on the season while Boise State now is 3-2. Northwestern is back in action immediately against Indiana in a non-conference game at the Kajikawa Classic.
For the third-straight game to start the 2018 season, Northwestern took the field as the visitors and scored right away in the top of the first. Sabrina Rabin doubled to start the contest and stole third one out later before first-year Rachel Lewis slotted a single through the left-side hole to give NU the quick 1-0 edge.
Boise State and its boisterous offense were quick to counter in its half of the first. A leadoff walk from Northwestern starter Ellis turned into a run when the Broncos got a pair of singles later in the frame. Ellis was able to notch a pair of strikeouts, including one for the final out to strand a runner at third.
The Wildcats rallied for two more in the top of the second, beginning when Lily Novak singled, Sammy Nettling walked and Brooke Marquez walked to load the bases with one out. Ellis drove in the first run herself with an RBI groundout before Rabin ripped a two-out single up the middle for the second run, pushing NU back out in front, 3-1.
Midway through that rally, Boise State replaced starter Tori Bivens with Veronica Lynch to quell Bivens sudden bought of wildness.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the second for Ellis, the #B1GCats offense got on their horse and rode a rally to two more runs. Morgan Nelson started the rally with a walk and a steal before Kenna Wilkey wacked a double to right to make it 4-1. Pinch runner Emma Bartz took over for Wilkey at second, racing home when Novak singled again just past the reach of the second baseman for an RBI single and a 5-1 NU lead.
NU doubled its pleasure in the fourth, beginning when Marissa Panko beat out an infield single. She scored all the way from first on a Lewis double, and Lewis herself scored when Nelson doubled to the fence in left center, making it a 7-1 game. Boise State inserted Gianna Mancha into the circle in relief during the doubles, but the rally still continued with a Wilkey walk and a Novak fly ball that was caught deep enough to allow Nelson to tag and head to third. Those 60 feet became another run when Marquez drove a fly ball to medium deep left where it was caught, allowing Nelson to scamper home for an 8-1 NU edge.
In the top of the fifth, the game entered run-rule territory. Rabin led off with a single and stole second, then moved to third on a Panko sacrifice bunt in which the third baseman somehow kicked the ball out of the pitcher's glove for an error. A perfect double steal where the throw went into center allowed Rabin to come home, then Nelson beat out a bunt single in which the throw sailed into right field for the third Broncos error of the frame. Panko scored on the miscue. Later on, after a Novak walk, Novak and Nelson pulled a double steal to account for the final 11-run total.
In the bottom of the fifth, a leadoff single and two later throwing errors allowed two Boise State runs to come home, but that was all in the game.
Ellis went the distance, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Rabin scored twice in the game to give her three runs scored on the season and 154 runs in her career, sending her past Marisa Bast for third all-time in Northwestern history for runs scored.
Rabin also led NU at the plate with three hits and two runs scored. Nelson scored three times and had two hits. Panko scored twice, Lewis knocked in a pair and Novak picked up two base hits, as well.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ellis, Kenzie (1-0)
L: BIVENS, Tori (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1
RBI: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Marquez, Brooke 1 ; Ellis, Kenzie 1
SH: Panko, Marissa 1
SF: Marquez, Brooke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 2 ; Panko, Marissa 2 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 3 ; Bartz, Emma 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 2 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Novak, Lily 1
CS: Lewis, Rachel 1
HBP: Nettling, Sammy 1
Batting:
RBI: McKAY, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WADE, Kora 2 ; ADAMS, Ashlynn 1
SB: WADE, Kora 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
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