Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
44-10
Detroit Mercy
31-27
'Cats Open NCAA Regional with 15-1 Run Rule over Detroit Mercy
5/17/2019 5:18:00 PM | Softball
The Wildcat offense exploded at the plate to put up their highest total of the season. The 15 runs scored were the most by the 'Cats since they scored 15 against Rutgers on April, 20, 2018. It was the most runs scored in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, breaking the record set in 2014, when Northwestern defeated Iona 14-4 in the Seattle Regional on May 16.
First year Danielle Williams earned the win after pitching 3.0 innings while allowing zero earned runs and just two hits while striking out six. She had a stellar afternoon on offense as well, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs including a two-run home run.
Sophomore Kenna Wilkey finished off the win with 2.0 scoreless innings in the circle and struck out four of the six batters she faced. She joined in on the offensive outburst with a two-home run of her own in her only plate appearance.
After Detroit Mercy took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the #B1GCats responded with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Williams evened the score with an RBI-single through the left side to bring around Emma Bartz. The next at-bat, Skyler Shellmyer found the right-center gap and drove in two with a stand-up double to give the Wildcats the lead. Morgan Nelson kept the runs coming two batters later as she doubled off the left-center fence to score Shellmyer and Rachel Lewis. Morgan Newport joined in on the fun with an RBI-single later in the inning.
Northwestern kept its foot on the gas pedal the following inning as they scored a season-high nine runs in the bottom of the third, jump started by the first six batters of the inning reaching base. After Novak singled to lead off the inning, Williams belted a two-run homer off Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 'Cats then proceeded to load the bases and Maeve Nelson battled through a 12-pitch at-bat to add another run with no outs.
Two-batters later, Jordyn Rudd hit a towering three-run homer to left-center, extending her season total to a team-high 50 RBI. She is the 11th different Wildcat in program history to hit for at least 50 RBI and just the fourth first-year to do so.
The Wildcats weren't finished as Wilkey entered to pinch hit and promptly launched to a two-run homer to left-center to give the Wildcats a 15-1 advantage. All in all, seven different Wildcats drove in a run as the team reached base 21 times in four innings of hitting, while 10 different players came home to score.
The Wildcats will play Louisville tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT in game three of the Regional. The winner of that game will not play again until Sunday, while the loser will play again at 6 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Williams, Danielle (29-5)
L: MAUSER, Ashl (18-11)
Batting:
RBI: BOTELLER, El 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GILBERT, Cou 1
HBP: GILBERT, Cou 1
Batting:
2B: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Shellmyer, Skyler 1
HR: Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Williams, Danielle 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Rudd, Jordyn 3 ; Newport, Morgan 1 ; Williams, Danielle 3 ; Wilkey, Kenna 2 ; Shellmyer, Skyler 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Newport, Morgan 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1 ; Novak, Lily 2 ; Williams, Danielle 2 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1 ; Shellmyer, Skyler 2
SB: Lewis, Rachel 1
