Northwestern
22-4, 0
Michigan State
16-13, 0
'Cats Sweep Weekend, Extend Winning Streak to 12
3/27/2022 4:43:00 PM | Softball
The Wildcats scored a run in five of the six innings of action to extend their winning streak to 12-straight games after three-consecutive undefeated weekends. The 'Cats now sit at 22-4 on the season, marking the best start to a season through 26 games in the Drohan era.
Danielle Williams earned another complete game pitching for the Wildcats as she improved to 13-1 on the season, striking out nine while allowing just two hits and one unearned run. The NU ace continued to solidify her resume as one of the best pitchers in the country this weekend, going 2-0 with a save while posting a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/14.0 IP) to go along with 28 strikeouts and a .067 opposing batting average against.
Williams has now gone 26.0 straight innings without surrendering an earned run (dating back to the sixth inning of the Wildcats' March 19 game vs. Missouri).
Skyler Shellmyer put the Wildcats on the board first with a vintage sequence that included an infield single, a stolen base and an eventual run scored on a wild pitch. Shellmyer finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Anyone can hit the ball over the fence, only @skymy08 can produce runs without the ball leaving the infield ????#GoCats | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/aNxGG6VVi8
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) March 27, 2022
Hannah Cady also turned in a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI to finish the weekend with a team-leading .571 batting average over the 'Cats' three wins.
Rachel Lewis continued her red-hot power surge at the plate to close the game out, hitting a grand slam in the 6th inning to walk the game off in the sixth inning, marking the Wildcats' fourth run-rule victory of the year. Lewis now sits at 52 career home runs, one away from tying Nicole Pauly (2007-10) for the fourth-most in program history and six away from breaking Tammy Williams' record (57) for the most homers in program history.
???? @rlewis_11 called GAME.#GoCats | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/61nAGPQhSK
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) March 27, 2022
Up next for the Wildcats will be a three-game showdown in Evanston against the defending Big Ten champions, Michigan. It marks the first time Michigan will play in Evanston since 2011. Games on Friday and Saturday will be televised on Big Ten Network in what will be "Alumni Weekend" at The J. Members from the 1986-87 and 2006-07 Women's College World Series teams will be honored, along with plenty of other fesitvities for all fans.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Williams, Danielle (13-1)
L: Miller, Ash. (9-7)
Batting:
RBI: Ladd, Caitie 1
SH: Roper, K. 1
SF: Ladd, Caitie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Callahan, C. 1
Batting:
HR: Lewis, Rachel 1
RBI: Lewis, Rachel 4 ; Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Zedak, Angela 1 ; Cady, Hannah 1
SF: Zedak, Angela 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shellmyer, Skyler 2 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Stanley, Sammy 1 ; Supple, Sydney 1 ; Lindsey, Ayana 1 ; Nieto, Grace 1
SB: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Stanley, Sammy 1
CS: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Nieto, Grace 1
HBP: Supple, Sydney 1
