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Photo by: Connor Cunningham/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Win Three-Straight to Close Out Cardinal Classic
3/2/2025 9:19:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Northwestern ended the weekend on a three-game winning streak at the Cardinal Classic hosted by the University of Louisville, earning a pair of decisive victories over Longwood followed by a 5-1 win at Louisville to cap off the trip on Sunday.
Lauren Boyd dazzled for the Wildcats in Sunday's win, recording a career-high 11 strikeouts while allowing just five hits and one run in 7.0 innings. It marked Boyd's third-complete game of the season, as well as the first double-digit strikeout performance by a Wildcat since Ashley Miller did so on April 16, 2024. Boyd is now 3-0 in her last three appearances, posting a 1.15 ERA (3 ER/18.2 IP) and 20 strikeouts in those outings while holding opponents to a .185 batting average.
In Sunday's game vs. Louisville–who entered today with a 5-2 record against Big Ten opponents this season–the Wildcats and Cardinals were locked in pitchers' duel through the first four innings before Northwestern mounted a five-run rally in the top of the fifth inning. Kelsey Nader broke the scoreless tie with an RBI-double to center field and, in the very next at-bat, Kaylie Avvisato followed that up with a towering two-run homer to left-center field for her first-career home run. An RBI-single from Emma Raye, as well as some crafty two-out baserunning from Ayana Lindsey and Isabel Cunnea, helped extend the lead to five. Pitching with the lead, Boyd continued to impress as she struck out the side in the sixth inning and recorded a web gem in the seventh inning to strand two runners on base in the game's final out.
Nader led the Wildcats at the plate this weekend, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with a double, a home run, four RBI and a run scored. Nader also led the 'Cats in slugging percentage (.786) and on-base percentage (.533) and recorded multi-hit games in three of Northwestern's four games over the weekend, raising her batting average by over .100 points up to .286 (16-for-56) on the year. The junior from Canton, Michigan jumpstarted the scoring for Northwestern twice over the weekend, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday's win over Longwood along with her RBI-double in the fifth inning vs. Louisville.
Cunnea also turned in a monster weekend at the plate, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with a team-leading five RBI, a double, a homer and three runs scored. The sophomore from Oak Lawn, Illinois hit her first home run of the season on Friday against Central Michigan, then followed that up by driving in a season-high three RBI in Friday's run-rule victory over Longwood. Cunnea is now riding a career-long six-game hitting streak, tied for the longest by a Wildcat this season. During that span she has raised her batting average by almost .140 points, up to .282 (11-for-39).
Avvisato continued to impress in her rookie season with the Wildcats, going 3-for-11 with a double and four runs scored while hitting her first-career home run on Suuday. Avvisato posted a .467 on-base percentage over the weekend and stole a pair of bases. The first-year from Leesburg, Virginia now leads the 'Cats with a .382 batting average (21-for-55), 31 total bases and six stolen bases on the season. Bridget Donahey scored a team-high five runs in four games over the weekend, posting a .983 OPS. Donahey has scored a team-leading 14 runs for the Wildcats this season and leads the team in both on-base percentage (.473) and slugging percentage (.564).
Boyd led the Wildcats' pitching staff over the weekend, going 2-0 with two complete games, 14 strikeouts, a .186 opposing batting average and a 1.17 ERA (2 ER/12.0 IP). Riley Grudzielanek made two appearances and earned the win for NU on Saturday vs. Longwood, tossing the final 4.1 innings and allowing just one run while recording a career-high five strikeouts. Renae Cunningham threw 5.1 innings of relief on Friday against Central Michigan, allowing two runs while recording six strikeouts. It marked Cunningham's longest outing of the season, and her most strikeouts in an appearance since fanning eight in her first-ever start on February 11, 2024.
The Wildcats dropped their weekend opener on Friday, falling 4-2 to Central Michigan. Cunnea homered in the game, hitting a lead-off shot in the bottom of the second inning for her first long ball of the season, while Nader added an RBI in the fifth inning as she finished the game 2-for-4 in what marked her first of two multi-hit efforts on Friday.
Northwestern bounced back in a big way in its second game on Friday, recording its second run-rule victory of the year in a 9-1 victory over Longwood in five innings. Four different Wildcats drove in runs against the Lancers, including four extra-base RBI-hits. Kansas Robinson got the scoring started with a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning in what marked her first long ball of the year. Donahey hit her team-leading third home run of the season in the third inning to extend the lead. The 'Cats put the game on ice in the fifth inning as Cunnea drove in two runs with a double to jumpstart the scoring, and Raye followed up the very next at-bat with a two-RBI double of her own to secure the run-rule.
On Saturday, Northwestern wasted no time getting the scoring started against Longwood once again as the Wildcats posted seven runs in the top of the first inning. Nader's two-run home run gave the 'Cats an early lead, and a series of clutch two-out hits off the bats of Raye, Avery Garden and Grace Nieto extended the lead. The 'Cats' second game of the afternoon, a showdown against the hosts Louisville, was canceled due to weather conditions.
The Wildcats will now head on an 11-day break before opening their conference season with four games in Oklahoma City against Penn State and Michigan State from March 13-16 at Devon Park, the site of the Women's College World Series. The following weekend, March 21-22, the 'Cats return to Evanston for their home opener for a three-game series against No. 20 Mississippi State.
Lauren Boyd dazzled for the Wildcats in Sunday's win, recording a career-high 11 strikeouts while allowing just five hits and one run in 7.0 innings. It marked Boyd's third-complete game of the season, as well as the first double-digit strikeout performance by a Wildcat since Ashley Miller did so on April 16, 2024. Boyd is now 3-0 in her last three appearances, posting a 1.15 ERA (3 ER/18.2 IP) and 20 strikeouts in those outings while holding opponents to a .185 batting average.
In Sunday's game vs. Louisville–who entered today with a 5-2 record against Big Ten opponents this season–the Wildcats and Cardinals were locked in pitchers' duel through the first four innings before Northwestern mounted a five-run rally in the top of the fifth inning. Kelsey Nader broke the scoreless tie with an RBI-double to center field and, in the very next at-bat, Kaylie Avvisato followed that up with a towering two-run homer to left-center field for her first-career home run. An RBI-single from Emma Raye, as well as some crafty two-out baserunning from Ayana Lindsey and Isabel Cunnea, helped extend the lead to five. Pitching with the lead, Boyd continued to impress as she struck out the side in the sixth inning and recorded a web gem in the seventh inning to strand two runners on base in the game's final out.
Lauren Boyd closed it out in STYLE ?? #SCTop10 | #BeRemarkable pic.twitter.com/mspGts6nmu
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) March 2, 2025
Nader led the Wildcats at the plate this weekend, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with a double, a home run, four RBI and a run scored. Nader also led the 'Cats in slugging percentage (.786) and on-base percentage (.533) and recorded multi-hit games in three of Northwestern's four games over the weekend, raising her batting average by over .100 points up to .286 (16-for-56) on the year. The junior from Canton, Michigan jumpstarted the scoring for Northwestern twice over the weekend, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning of Saturday's win over Longwood along with her RBI-double in the fifth inning vs. Louisville.
Cunnea also turned in a monster weekend at the plate, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with a team-leading five RBI, a double, a homer and three runs scored. The sophomore from Oak Lawn, Illinois hit her first home run of the season on Friday against Central Michigan, then followed that up by driving in a season-high three RBI in Friday's run-rule victory over Longwood. Cunnea is now riding a career-long six-game hitting streak, tied for the longest by a Wildcat this season. During that span she has raised her batting average by almost .140 points, up to .282 (11-for-39).
Avvisato continued to impress in her rookie season with the Wildcats, going 3-for-11 with a double and four runs scored while hitting her first-career home run on Suuday. Avvisato posted a .467 on-base percentage over the weekend and stole a pair of bases. The first-year from Leesburg, Virginia now leads the 'Cats with a .382 batting average (21-for-55), 31 total bases and six stolen bases on the season. Bridget Donahey scored a team-high five runs in four games over the weekend, posting a .983 OPS. Donahey has scored a team-leading 14 runs for the Wildcats this season and leads the team in both on-base percentage (.473) and slugging percentage (.564).
That. Ball. Was. CRUSHED ??
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) March 2, 2025
First-career homer for @kaylieavvisato! ?? pic.twitter.com/y1gcRwbeCi
Boyd led the Wildcats' pitching staff over the weekend, going 2-0 with two complete games, 14 strikeouts, a .186 opposing batting average and a 1.17 ERA (2 ER/12.0 IP). Riley Grudzielanek made two appearances and earned the win for NU on Saturday vs. Longwood, tossing the final 4.1 innings and allowing just one run while recording a career-high five strikeouts. Renae Cunningham threw 5.1 innings of relief on Friday against Central Michigan, allowing two runs while recording six strikeouts. It marked Cunningham's longest outing of the season, and her most strikeouts in an appearance since fanning eight in her first-ever start on February 11, 2024.
The Wildcats dropped their weekend opener on Friday, falling 4-2 to Central Michigan. Cunnea homered in the game, hitting a lead-off shot in the bottom of the second inning for her first long ball of the season, while Nader added an RBI in the fifth inning as she finished the game 2-for-4 in what marked her first of two multi-hit efforts on Friday.
Northwestern bounced back in a big way in its second game on Friday, recording its second run-rule victory of the year in a 9-1 victory over Longwood in five innings. Four different Wildcats drove in runs against the Lancers, including four extra-base RBI-hits. Kansas Robinson got the scoring started with a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning in what marked her first long ball of the year. Donahey hit her team-leading third home run of the season in the third inning to extend the lead. The 'Cats put the game on ice in the fifth inning as Cunnea drove in two runs with a double to jumpstart the scoring, and Raye followed up the very next at-bat with a two-RBI double of her own to secure the run-rule.
On Saturday, Northwestern wasted no time getting the scoring started against Longwood once again as the Wildcats posted seven runs in the top of the first inning. Nader's two-run home run gave the 'Cats an early lead, and a series of clutch two-out hits off the bats of Raye, Avery Garden and Grace Nieto extended the lead. The 'Cats' second game of the afternoon, a showdown against the hosts Louisville, was canceled due to weather conditions.
The Wildcats will now head on an 11-day break before opening their conference season with four games in Oklahoma City against Penn State and Michigan State from March 13-16 at Devon Park, the site of the Women's College World Series. The following weekend, March 21-22, the 'Cats return to Evanston for their home opener for a three-game series against No. 20 Mississippi State.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boyd, Lauren (4-2)
L: Alyssa Zabala (6-2)
Batting:
2B: Nader, Kelsey 1
HR: Avvisato, Kaylie 1
RBI: Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 2 ; Raye, Emma 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Cunnea, Isabel 1
SB: Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Lindsey, Ayana 1
HBP: Raye, Emma 1
Batting:
2B: Maddi Grant 1
RBI: Easton Lotus 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madison Pickens 1
SB: Chelsea Mack 2 ; Char Lorenz 1
CS: Char Lorenz 1
HBP: Char Lorenz 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballSoftball - Lauren Boyd Tosses Complete Game Shutout, 'Cats Blank Kentucky in NCAA Regional (5/16/25)
Friday, May 16
Softball - 'Cats Storm Back, Secure Series Victory at No. 8 UCLA (5/4/25)
Sunday, May 04
Softball - 'Cats Earn 8-0 Run-Rule Win at No. 8 UCLA (5/2/25)
Saturday, May 03
Softball - Kaylie Avvisato Hits Walk-Off Home Run, 'Cats Take Series vs. Wisconsin (4/27/25)
Sunday, April 27
