Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, February 28
Durham, NC
9 am CT
Northwestern
8-10
6
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3
Boston U
7-10
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6
7
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H
E
Northwestern
1
1
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1
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6
9
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Boston U
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Photo by: Andy Mead/Northwestern Athletics
Wildcats Split Four Games at Duke Invitational
3/1/2026 11:01:00 AM | Softball
DURHAM, N.C. – Northwestern split a set of Friday and Saturday doubleheaders at the Duke Invitational this weekend.
The Wildcats fell to Boston U, 6-4, on Friday before responding with an emphatic 11-1 win over Ohio State later in the day. On Saturday, the 'Cats bounced back against BU with a 6-3 win before falling to the hosts, No. 20 Duke, 6-1, in the weekend finale.
In game one against BU, the Terriers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Northwestern held BU scoreless for the remainder of the game, as Emma Blea delivered a tremendous relief effort, tossing a career-high 5.1 innings while allowing just one hit across 19 batters faced. The 'Cats rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing the tying run to the plate, but ultimately could not complete the rally.
Playing in a rare non-conference matchup against a Big Ten opponent, Northwestern rode a dominant complete game performance from Marina Mason to a win over Ohio State on Friday. After allowing a first-inning home run, Mason proceeded to fire 6.2 scoreless innings, retiring 20 of the last 24 batters she faced–including the last nine batters of the game–en route to her third win on the year. It marked the second complete game of the season from Mason, who also notched eight strikeouts in the game.
On Saturday, Northwestern plated runs in each of the first five innings against BU en route to a 6-3 wire-to-wire victory. Riley Grudzielanek tossed a complete game in the circle, her first of the season, allowing just three hits in 7.0 innings while striking out six.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Duke in the first inning of Saturday's finale, however the Blue Devils responded with four home runs and a complete game performance from pitcher Cassidy Curd en route to a 6-1 Duke victory.
Grace Nieto led the Wildcats at the plate over the weekend, going 6-for-14 with a team-leading .529 on-base percentage and four runs scored, scoring in each game this weekend. Nieto leads the team this season with 14 runs scored, and is one of three hitters in the lineup to boast a batting average above .300 (.323) and an OBP over .400 (.408).
Hitting one spot behind Nieto in the lineup, Kelsey Nader recorded a hit in every game of the weekend (5-for-12), drove in a run in both games against BU, and now rides a seven-game hitting streak. Nader is hitting a team-high .397 (23-for-58) on the year, having already entered the season ranked in the top-10 in program history in career batting average.
Kansas Robinson provided a power surge throughout the weekend, going 5-for-13 while leading the team with five RBI and two home runs to go along with a .923 slugging percentage. Robinson went 3-for-3 against Ohio State, blasting a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to jumpstart a seven-run inning for the 'Cats, in which the first nine batters of the frame reached base. Robinson homered for the second game in a row against BU on Saturday, providing a two-run blast in the third inning to extend NU's lead. Robinson is tied for the team lead this season with three home runs, while her 14 RBI trail only Kaylie Avvisato (17).
Northwestern is back in action next weekend as the 'Cats kick off Big Ten play with a three-game series at Washington (March 6-8), in what marks the Wildcats' first trip to Seattle since 2018.
The Wildcats fell to Boston U, 6-4, on Friday before responding with an emphatic 11-1 win over Ohio State later in the day. On Saturday, the 'Cats bounced back against BU with a 6-3 win before falling to the hosts, No. 20 Duke, 6-1, in the weekend finale.
In game one against BU, the Terriers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Northwestern held BU scoreless for the remainder of the game, as Emma Blea delivered a tremendous relief effort, tossing a career-high 5.1 innings while allowing just one hit across 19 batters faced. The 'Cats rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing the tying run to the plate, but ultimately could not complete the rally.
Playing in a rare non-conference matchup against a Big Ten opponent, Northwestern rode a dominant complete game performance from Marina Mason to a win over Ohio State on Friday. After allowing a first-inning home run, Mason proceeded to fire 6.2 scoreless innings, retiring 20 of the last 24 batters she faced–including the last nine batters of the game–en route to her third win on the year. It marked the second complete game of the season from Mason, who also notched eight strikeouts in the game.
On Saturday, Northwestern plated runs in each of the first five innings against BU en route to a 6-3 wire-to-wire victory. Riley Grudzielanek tossed a complete game in the circle, her first of the season, allowing just three hits in 7.0 innings while striking out six.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Duke in the first inning of Saturday's finale, however the Blue Devils responded with four home runs and a complete game performance from pitcher Cassidy Curd en route to a 6-1 Duke victory.
Grace Nieto led the Wildcats at the plate over the weekend, going 6-for-14 with a team-leading .529 on-base percentage and four runs scored, scoring in each game this weekend. Nieto leads the team this season with 14 runs scored, and is one of three hitters in the lineup to boast a batting average above .300 (.323) and an OBP over .400 (.408).
Hitting one spot behind Nieto in the lineup, Kelsey Nader recorded a hit in every game of the weekend (5-for-12), drove in a run in both games against BU, and now rides a seven-game hitting streak. Nader is hitting a team-high .397 (23-for-58) on the year, having already entered the season ranked in the top-10 in program history in career batting average.
Kansas Robinson provided a power surge throughout the weekend, going 5-for-13 while leading the team with five RBI and two home runs to go along with a .923 slugging percentage. Robinson went 3-for-3 against Ohio State, blasting a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to jumpstart a seven-run inning for the 'Cats, in which the first nine batters of the frame reached base. Robinson homered for the second game in a row against BU on Saturday, providing a two-run blast in the third inning to extend NU's lead. Robinson is tied for the team lead this season with three home runs, while her 14 RBI trail only Kaylie Avvisato (17).
Northwestern is back in action next weekend as the 'Cats kick off Big Ten play with a three-game series at Washington (March 6-8), in what marks the Wildcats' first trip to Seattle since 2018.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grudzielanek, Riley (3-2)
L: Nell, Danika (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Raye, Emma 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 1
HR: Robinson, Kansas 1
RBI: Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 2 ; Donahey, Bridget 1
SH: Nader, Kelsey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Renschen, Kate 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Garden, Avery 2
SB: Renschen, Kate 2 ; Medina, Tru 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
HBP: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Medina, Tru 1
Batting:
HR: Doherty, Kylie 1
RBI: Doherty, Kylie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kline, Irys 1 ; Deppiesse, Brooke 1 ; Doherty, Kylie 1
HBP: Metz, Aimee 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballSoftball - Marina Mason Tosses Complete Game Shutout, 'Cats Blank Missouri in Clearwater (2/14/26)
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