Friday, April 25
Evanston, Ill.
4 pm CT
Northwestern
26-15-1, 13-4
11
vs
3
Wisconsin
30-18, 10-10
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Wisconsin
0
0
0
1
2
3
8
5
Northwestern
3
2
4
1
1
11
14
2
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Run-Rule Badgers to Open Weekend Series
4/25/2025 7:52:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern earned its sixth-straight win and its third consecutive run-rule victory on Friday afternoon with an 11-3 win over Wisconsin to open a three-game set at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Northwestern took the lead with a series of clutch two-out hits in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, combining for 14 hits among nine different Wildcats while scoring in every inning.
Lauren Boyd turned in her seventh complete game of the season, allowing just two earned runs in 5.0 innings while striking out three to improve to 11-4 on the year. Boyd's only two earned runs came in the top of the fifth inning via a two-run homer. The graduate student from Union, Missouri stranded eight Badgers on the basepaths across five innings.
Isabel Cunnea led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in what marked the first three-hit game of her career. Cunnea has now reached base safely in 10 consecutive games and has recorded an RBI in four-straight games.
Ayana Lindsey added a multi-hit performance of her own to kick off senior weekend, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Also finishing with two hits was Avery Garden (2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored) and Kelsey Nader (2-for-4 with two runs scored).
Bridget Donahey got the Wildcats on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out RBI double down the right field line to drive in Grace Nieto. The very next at-bat, Cunnea extended the lead to 3-0 with a single to right field to drive in Donahey and Kaylie Avvisato. The Wildcats tacked on two more in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a string of hits and aggressive baserunning while capitalizing on a series of Badger miscues.The 'Cats then put up a four spot in the bottom of the third inning as the result of RBI-singles from Lindsey and Garden.
In the fourth inning, Northwestern extended its lead as Lauren Sciborski launched a pinch hit home run to lead off the frame. It marked the first home run of the season for Sciborski, as well as the 11th extra-base hit of her career.
After Wisconsin cut the lead to seven in the top of the fifth inning, the 'Cats put the final stamp on the run-rule thanks to a one-out double from Nader followed by a double off the center field wall by Avvisato to walk the game off.
Northwestern is back in action on Saturday at 2pm CT for game two of the series. Action will be streamed on B1G+ and the Wildcats are proud to celebrate Alumni Day as the program welcome back an array of legends from the program from the last 50 years.
Northwestern took the lead with a series of clutch two-out hits in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, combining for 14 hits among nine different Wildcats while scoring in every inning.
Lauren Boyd turned in her seventh complete game of the season, allowing just two earned runs in 5.0 innings while striking out three to improve to 11-4 on the year. Boyd's only two earned runs came in the top of the fifth inning via a two-run homer. The graduate student from Union, Missouri stranded eight Badgers on the basepaths across five innings.
Isabel Cunnea led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in what marked the first three-hit game of her career. Cunnea has now reached base safely in 10 consecutive games and has recorded an RBI in four-straight games.
Ayana Lindsey added a multi-hit performance of her own to kick off senior weekend, going 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Also finishing with two hits was Avery Garden (2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored) and Kelsey Nader (2-for-4 with two runs scored).
Bridget Donahey got the Wildcats on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out RBI double down the right field line to drive in Grace Nieto. The very next at-bat, Cunnea extended the lead to 3-0 with a single to right field to drive in Donahey and Kaylie Avvisato. The Wildcats tacked on two more in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a string of hits and aggressive baserunning while capitalizing on a series of Badger miscues.The 'Cats then put up a four spot in the bottom of the third inning as the result of RBI-singles from Lindsey and Garden.
In the fourth inning, Northwestern extended its lead as Lauren Sciborski launched a pinch hit home run to lead off the frame. It marked the first home run of the season for Sciborski, as well as the 11th extra-base hit of her career.
Senior Weekend Homer for @losciborski ?? pic.twitter.com/v6qkR49UYO
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) April 25, 2025
After Wisconsin cut the lead to seven in the top of the fifth inning, the 'Cats put the final stamp on the run-rule thanks to a one-out double from Nader followed by a double off the center field wall by Avvisato to walk the game off.
Northwestern is back in action on Saturday at 2pm CT for game two of the series. Action will be streamed on B1G+ and the Wildcats are proud to celebrate Alumni Day as the program welcome back an array of legends from the program from the last 50 years.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boyd, Lauren (11-4)
L: Gabi Salo (13-10)
Batting:
2B: Molly Schlosser 1 ; Emily Bojan 1
HR: Hilary Blomberg 1
RBI: Hilary Blomberg 2 ; Eden Dempsey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Molly Schlosser 1 ; Hilary Blomberg 1 ; Brooke Kuffel 1
HBP: Brooke Kuffel 1
Batting:
2B: Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 1
HR: Sciborski, Lauren 1
RBI: Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 1 ; Sciborski, Lauren 1 ; Cunnea, Isabel 2 ; Lindsey, Ayana 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nader, Kelsey 2 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 2 ; Sciborski, Lauren 1 ; Cunnea, Isabel 1 ; Lindsey, Ayana 2 ; Garden, Avery 2
SB: Cunnea, Isabel 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
CS: Dowden, Kate 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballUTL
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ 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
