Friday, February 16
Raleigh, N.C.
10 a.m. CT/11 p.m. ET
Northwestern
4-2
6
vs
7
Louisville
5-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Louisville
0
2
0
0
0
0
4
1
7
9
3
Northwestern
0
0
2
3
1
0
0
0
6
8
2
Cardinals Comeback Stuns Wildcats in Extras, 7-6 (8)
2/16/2018 1:03:00 PM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. – With Louisville down to its final strike Friday in Northwestern's opener at the 2018 ACC/B1G Challenge, the Cardinals hit a three-run game-tying home run before coming back to beat the Wildcats in extra innings, 7-6 (8).
Northwestern falls to 4-2 on the season with its loss, which snaps a four-game winning streak. Louisville improves to 5-1 on the year with its victory. The two teams will meet again immediately in the second game of their Friday ACC/B1G Challenge doubleheader in Raleigh.
Both schools put a couple of runners aboard in the first frame without finding the plate before Louisville took the game's first lead in the top of the second when it turned a hit by pitch and an error into a two-run double.
A couple of two-out walks and a passed ball in the top of the third led to Morgan Newport entering the circle in relief of Northwestern starter Kenzie Ellis. Newport walked the first batter she faced before getting a groundout to Lily Novak at first to lead 'em loaded and prevent the Cardinals from building on their lead.
That momentum shift was just what the Wildcats needed in the bottom half of the third. With one out in the inning, first-year Rachel Lewis blasted her first-collegiate home run over the barrier in left field to put Northwestern on the board. Morgan Nelson and Kenna Wilkey followed with singles before Novak walked to load the bases, and Louisville inserted Danielle Watson into the circle in relief of its starter Megan Hensley. Sammy Nettling immediately drew her second walk of the game to force Nelson home, knotting the score, 2-2, heading into the fourth.
Newport went full shutdown inning on the Cardinals in the top half of the fourth with a 1-2-3 effort, then the floodgates opened for the #B1GCats offense. Mac Dunlap started the rally with a walk followed by a one-out Marissa Panko single and a Lewis walk to load the bases. Nelson put the Wildcats on top, 3-2, via an RBI single. With the bases still loaded and one out, Louisville re-entered its start Hensley, only to see the Cardinals infield throw the ball away on a Wilkey grounder, allowing both Panko and Nelson to score to make it a 5-2 contest before all was said and done.
In the bottom of the fifth, Newport flexed into the offensive lineup to hit for Dunlap, and was hit by a pitch. Dunlap re-entered to run, moving to second on a Marissa Panko groundout. Now with two down, Lewis recorded her second base knock of the day to bring Dunlap around and extend the Wildcats' lead to four, 6-2.
All was quiet until the top of the seventh when Louisville got back-to-back one-out singles to put a pair of runners aboard. Newport got a strikeout for the second out of the frame before a throwing error allowed a Louisville run to come around, making it a 6-3 contest. The next batter, facing a full count, tied the game with a three-run home run to send the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Louisville got back-to-back one-out singles, leading to Kaley Winegarner taking over in the circle from Newport. The next batter singled to load the bases before a sacrifice fly gave Louisville the lead back, 7-6.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lewis led off with a double but was stuck there when the game ended.
Ellis went 2.2 innings in the start, allowing two unearned runs on two hits and three walks with a strikeout. Newport (1-1) took the loss in relief, throwing 4.2 frames and giving up five runs (just one earned) on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Winegarner threw the final two-thirds of an inning, surrendering one hit and recording one strikeout.
Lewis had a tremendous game at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a single, double and home run while driving in two, scoring twice and stealing two bases. Panko and Nelson each had two hits while Dunlap scored twice.
Northwestern falls to 4-2 on the season with its loss, which snaps a four-game winning streak. Louisville improves to 5-1 on the year with its victory. The two teams will meet again immediately in the second game of their Friday ACC/B1G Challenge doubleheader in Raleigh.
Both schools put a couple of runners aboard in the first frame without finding the plate before Louisville took the game's first lead in the top of the second when it turned a hit by pitch and an error into a two-run double.
A couple of two-out walks and a passed ball in the top of the third led to Morgan Newport entering the circle in relief of Northwestern starter Kenzie Ellis. Newport walked the first batter she faced before getting a groundout to Lily Novak at first to lead 'em loaded and prevent the Cardinals from building on their lead.
That momentum shift was just what the Wildcats needed in the bottom half of the third. With one out in the inning, first-year Rachel Lewis blasted her first-collegiate home run over the barrier in left field to put Northwestern on the board. Morgan Nelson and Kenna Wilkey followed with singles before Novak walked to load the bases, and Louisville inserted Danielle Watson into the circle in relief of its starter Megan Hensley. Sammy Nettling immediately drew her second walk of the game to force Nelson home, knotting the score, 2-2, heading into the fourth.
Newport went full shutdown inning on the Cardinals in the top half of the fourth with a 1-2-3 effort, then the floodgates opened for the #B1GCats offense. Mac Dunlap started the rally with a walk followed by a one-out Marissa Panko single and a Lewis walk to load the bases. Nelson put the Wildcats on top, 3-2, via an RBI single. With the bases still loaded and one out, Louisville re-entered its start Hensley, only to see the Cardinals infield throw the ball away on a Wilkey grounder, allowing both Panko and Nelson to score to make it a 5-2 contest before all was said and done.
In the bottom of the fifth, Newport flexed into the offensive lineup to hit for Dunlap, and was hit by a pitch. Dunlap re-entered to run, moving to second on a Marissa Panko groundout. Now with two down, Lewis recorded her second base knock of the day to bring Dunlap around and extend the Wildcats' lead to four, 6-2.
All was quiet until the top of the seventh when Louisville got back-to-back one-out singles to put a pair of runners aboard. Newport got a strikeout for the second out of the frame before a throwing error allowed a Louisville run to come around, making it a 6-3 contest. The next batter, facing a full count, tied the game with a three-run home run to send the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Louisville got back-to-back one-out singles, leading to Kaley Winegarner taking over in the circle from Newport. The next batter singled to load the bases before a sacrifice fly gave Louisville the lead back, 7-6.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lewis led off with a double but was stuck there when the game ended.
Ellis went 2.2 innings in the start, allowing two unearned runs on two hits and three walks with a strikeout. Newport (1-1) took the loss in relief, throwing 4.2 frames and giving up five runs (just one earned) on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Winegarner threw the final two-thirds of an inning, surrendering one hit and recording one strikeout.
Lewis had a tremendous game at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a single, double and home run while driving in two, scoring twice and stealing two bases. Panko and Nelson each had two hits while Dunlap scored twice.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hensley, Megan (2-1)
L: Newport, Morgan (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Ferguson, Caitlin 1
HR: Jordan, Jenna 1
RBI: Ferguson, Caitlin 2 ; Soles, Jamie 1 ; Jordan, Jenna 3
SF: Soles, Jamie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Szydlowski, Alison 1 ; Soles, Jamie 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Jordan, Jenna 1 ; Melton, Sidney 1 ; Funke, Celene 2
SB: Ferguson, Caitlin 1
HBP: Hensley, Megan 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Rachel 1
HR: Lewis, Rachel 1
RBI: Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Panko, Marissa 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Dunlap, Mac 2
SB: Lewis, Rachel 2
HBP: Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Marquez, Brooke 1 ; Newport, Morgan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballP
/ Softball
P
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