Box Score
ST. PAUL – Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) came just short of her first collegiate no hitter on Monday, as the Northwestern College softball team defeated Crown College 11-0 in a short five-inning affair.
Rodgers had one out left to complete the no-hitter, but Crown's Shauna Schiebout had other plans, as she singled to right field. Rodgers and her Eagles teammates had the final say though, as Northwestern started its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule on the right foot.
After a scoreless first inning, NWC went off in the second frame. After a leadoff double by Ashley Weimer (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) (Hill City, Minn./Hill City), a Crown error that allowed Alyssa Borgstrom (Amery, Wis./Amery) (Amery, Wis./Amery) to reach first also provided an open home plate for Weimer to score. Three batters later, Rhonda Morgan (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) hit an inside-the-park homerun to score three more runs. Leighana Nyquist (Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) (Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) followed suit, taking first on a walk before ultimately scoring on a wild pitch.
Following a Jenna Ruby (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) RBI single through the left side, Kristie Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) hit a home run over the left field fence to increase Northwestern's lead to 9-0.
The Eagles didn't stop there, scoring their 10th and 11th runs of the game in the fourth inning. Shelly MacKinnon (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) (Palantine, Ill./Friend) scored on a passed ball before Sarah Zoeller (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail Academy) (Kenosha, Wis./Indian Trail Academy) recorded her first career hit and RBI, scoring Weimer.
Rodgers wrapped up her business in the pitcher's circle in the top half of the fifth inning to give the home team an 11-0 victory. The junior struck out five Storm batters in the game while yielding the one hit.
Ruby and Weimer were strong at the plate, leading the Eagles to nine team hits. Ruby was 2-2 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Weimer went 2-3 to go with three runs. Morgan's four-bagger produced three RBI for the senior.
Northwestern will resume its season's schedule on Wendesday, when the Eagles (3-11, 1-0 UMAC) are slated to play the University of St. Thomas. Although a 4 p.m. start time is scheduled at Reynolds Field, weather may be a factor that forces the contest indoors. Stay tuned to nwceagles.com for details as they become available.
