Saturday, March 29
Minneapolis, Minn.
2 pm CT
Northwestern
18-11, 7-0
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Photo by: Jazmin Bender/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Secure Series Sweep at Minnesota, Remain Unbeaten in Big Ten
3/29/2025 4:15:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Northwestern wrapped up its first Big Ten road trip on Saturday afternoon with an emphatic 14-3 run-rule victory over Minnesota in six innings. The Wildcats improve to 7-0 in Big Ten play and are the only unbeaten team remaining in the conference.
Northwestern has now won 19-consecutive Big Ten series, dating back to the start of the 2023 season. The Wildcats are 7-0 to start conference play for the first time since 2021, when they started 9-0. Additionally, Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan move to 798 career victories, two away from becoming just the fourth coaches in Big Ten history to reach 800 career wins (Carol Hutchins, Gayle Blevins and Rhonda Revelle).
The Wildcats have now won eight-straight games over the Gophers, dating back to 2022. Furthermore, Northwestern secured its first series victory at Minnesota since 2006.
Five different Wildcats recorded three-hit performances on Saturday as Northwestern exploded for 18 hits and 14 runs in just six innings at the plate, both of which are season highs. The 18 hits for the 'Cats marked their most in a game since April 8, 2023 when they also had 18 hits and scored a program-record 24 runs against Penn State.
In Saturday's win, Northwestern jumped on Minnesota with three runs in the top of the first, followed by five in the second inning. After Minnesota trimmed the deficit to just five, the 'Cats responded with a six-spot in the top of the sixth inning to secure their fifth run-rule victory of the season (second in the past week).
Kelsey Nader posted the first four-hit performance of her career, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. She is the third-different Wildcat to record a four-hit game this season, joining Kansas Robinson (February 16 vs. UT Arlington) and Avery Garden (March 16 vs. Michigan State). Nader leads the team with a .481 on-base percentage this season.
Kansas Robinson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a homer and five RBI on Saturday–her most in a game since driving in six as a first-year vs. Nebraska on April 28, 2023. Robinson jumpstarted the scoring for the second game in a row with a two-out single to drive in Kaylie Avvisato. The next inning, she sent a double to the left field wall to bring around two more runs. In the top of the sixth, Robinson hit a two-run opposite field home run–her third long ball of the season. Robinson finished the weekend 5-for-10 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a team-leading six RBI.
Avvisato led the Wildcats in the weekend series, hitting .556 (5-for-9) with an RBI and four runs scored to raise her batting average on the season up to .404. With a three-hit performance on Saturday, Avvisato leads the team with 10 multi-hit games, including six three-hit performances. The rookie from Leesburg, Virginia leads the Wildcats through seven Big Ten games with 10 RBI and a .464 batting average (13-for-28).
Bridget Donahey hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season in Saturday's win, going back-to-back with Robinson in the sixth inning. After recording the first three-hit game of her career earlier this week against Northern Illinois, Donahey turned in another three-hit performance with two doubles and a home run. The junior leads the team this season with a .687 slugging percentage, as well as 22 run scored.
Emma Raye was the fifth different Wildcat to finish with three hits on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Raye finished the weekend hitting .400 (4-for-10) against the Gophers, and ranks second on the team through seven conference games with a .435 average (10-for-23).
Signe Dohse and Renae Cunningham split the workload on Saturday, each tossing 3.0 innings. Dohse struck out a career-high four batters and allowed just two hits and one run, while Cunningham earned her second win of the year and allowed just two hits and two runs to finish out the game.
On Friday, the Wildcats swept a Friday doubleheader behind a pair of dominant complete game outings from Lauren Boyd and Riley Grudzielanek. Boyd allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 10 in a 2-0 victory, improving to 6-0 with two saves, 44 strikeouts and a 1.77 ERA (10 ER/39.1 IP) in her last eight outings. Grudzielanek allowed just three hits and two runs and tossed six-straight scoreless innings to close out a 3-2 win, improving to 4-0 in four Big Ten appearances this season, with a team-best 1.78 ERA (5 ER/19.2 IP).
Up next, Northwestern returns home for an eight-game homestand in the month of April, including a midweek matchup vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 1 and back-to-back Big Ten series vs. Illinois (April 5-7) and Nebraska (April 12-14) in a new Saturday-Sunday-Monday series format.
Northwestern has now won 19-consecutive Big Ten series, dating back to the start of the 2023 season. The Wildcats are 7-0 to start conference play for the first time since 2021, when they started 9-0. Additionally, Kate Drohan and Caryl Drohan move to 798 career victories, two away from becoming just the fourth coaches in Big Ten history to reach 800 career wins (Carol Hutchins, Gayle Blevins and Rhonda Revelle).
The Wildcats have now won eight-straight games over the Gophers, dating back to 2022. Furthermore, Northwestern secured its first series victory at Minnesota since 2006.
Five different Wildcats recorded three-hit performances on Saturday as Northwestern exploded for 18 hits and 14 runs in just six innings at the plate, both of which are season highs. The 18 hits for the 'Cats marked their most in a game since April 8, 2023 when they also had 18 hits and scored a program-record 24 runs against Penn State.
In Saturday's win, Northwestern jumped on Minnesota with three runs in the top of the first, followed by five in the second inning. After Minnesota trimmed the deficit to just five, the 'Cats responded with a six-spot in the top of the sixth inning to secure their fifth run-rule victory of the season (second in the past week).
Kelsey Nader posted the first four-hit performance of her career, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. She is the third-different Wildcat to record a four-hit game this season, joining Kansas Robinson (February 16 vs. UT Arlington) and Avery Garden (March 16 vs. Michigan State). Nader leads the team with a .481 on-base percentage this season.
Kansas Robinson went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a homer and five RBI on Saturday–her most in a game since driving in six as a first-year vs. Nebraska on April 28, 2023. Robinson jumpstarted the scoring for the second game in a row with a two-out single to drive in Kaylie Avvisato. The next inning, she sent a double to the left field wall to bring around two more runs. In the top of the sixth, Robinson hit a two-run opposite field home run–her third long ball of the season. Robinson finished the weekend 5-for-10 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a team-leading six RBI.
Avvisato led the Wildcats in the weekend series, hitting .556 (5-for-9) with an RBI and four runs scored to raise her batting average on the season up to .404. With a three-hit performance on Saturday, Avvisato leads the team with 10 multi-hit games, including six three-hit performances. The rookie from Leesburg, Virginia leads the Wildcats through seven Big Ten games with 10 RBI and a .464 batting average (13-for-28).
Bridget Donahey hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season in Saturday's win, going back-to-back with Robinson in the sixth inning. After recording the first three-hit game of her career earlier this week against Northern Illinois, Donahey turned in another three-hit performance with two doubles and a home run. The junior leads the team this season with a .687 slugging percentage, as well as 22 run scored.
Emma Raye was the fifth different Wildcat to finish with three hits on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Raye finished the weekend hitting .400 (4-for-10) against the Gophers, and ranks second on the team through seven conference games with a .435 average (10-for-23).
Signe Dohse and Renae Cunningham split the workload on Saturday, each tossing 3.0 innings. Dohse struck out a career-high four batters and allowed just two hits and one run, while Cunningham earned her second win of the year and allowed just two hits and two runs to finish out the game.
On Friday, the Wildcats swept a Friday doubleheader behind a pair of dominant complete game outings from Lauren Boyd and Riley Grudzielanek. Boyd allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out 10 in a 2-0 victory, improving to 6-0 with two saves, 44 strikeouts and a 1.77 ERA (10 ER/39.1 IP) in her last eight outings. Grudzielanek allowed just three hits and two runs and tossed six-straight scoreless innings to close out a 3-2 win, improving to 4-0 in four Big Ten appearances this season, with a team-best 1.78 ERA (5 ER/19.2 IP).
Up next, Northwestern returns home for an eight-game homestand in the month of April, including a midweek matchup vs. Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 1 and back-to-back Big Ten series vs. Illinois (April 5-7) and Nebraska (April 12-14) in a new Saturday-Sunday-Monday series format.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cunningham, Renae (2-2)
L: Natalie Susa (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Nader, Kelsey 2 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 2 ; Raye, Emma 1
HR: Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 1
RBI: Dowden, Kate 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 3 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 5 ; Donahey, Bridget 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 2 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 3 ; Robinson, Kansas 3 ; Donahey, Bridget 2 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Sciborski, Lauren 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
SB: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
CS: Lindsey, Ayana 1
HBP: Sciborski, Lauren 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
Batting:
2B: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Breezy Burnett 1
RBI: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Kayla Chavez 1 ; Breezy Burnett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Jessa Snippes 1 ; Breezy Burnett 1
HBP: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Lucy Hooper 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
3
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
5
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
OF
/ 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
