Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – It took awhile for Northwestern College's bats to get going, but once they did, the Eagles showed their potential for the 2011 season with a 3-2 win and an 8-6 loss against the University of Wisconsin-Stout on Friday.

In the first game of the day, NWC struggled to reach base until the seventh inning, when three hits turned into three runs.  UW-Stout had mounted a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and third frames before the Eagles' Kristin Sigurdsen (Barron, Wis./Barron) (Barron, WIs./Barron) and Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) strung together a pair of hits.  Jenna Ruby (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) collected her season's first RBI on a groundout before newcomer Lauren Walker (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) drove Rodgers home with a single up the middle.

Despite yielding the two runs to the Blue Devils, only one of which was earned, Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) had a solid outing in the pitcher's circle.  The sophomore struck out three amidst five hits in seven innings of work.

The second game featured a lot more offense from both teams as Northwestern and Stout combined for 18 hits.  The Eagles scored first, bringing three runs across home plate in the third inning.  Ali Witthus (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian) led off with a single up the middle before scoring on a Sigurdsen double to left center.  Sigurdsen herself scored on an RBI groundout by Walker after Brittany Anderson (Amery, Wis./Amery) (Amery, Wis./Amery) had crossed the plate one batter earlier.

Stout answered big with six runs in the fourth frame which included five hits, two of which were home runs.  After the Blue Devils tacked on another home run in the top of the fifth, the Eagles added to their game's run total in the sixth inning.  Sigurdsen, who led off Northwestern's lineup in both games, hit an RBI double to score Witthus before the the sophomore crossed the plate on Leighana Nyquist (Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato)'s (Cokato, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) ensuing at-bat.  Two batters later, Ruby brought Nyquist home on an RBI single to make the score 7-6 in Stout's favor with an inning to play in regulation.

The Blue Devils added an insurance run in the top of the seventh and NWC's bid for runs in the bottom half of the inning came up empty, giving the Eagles a split on the day.

Ashley Olson (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) got the nod to start in the pitcher's circle for the Eagles. The senior was knocked out after Stout's big fourth inning, giving up six runs amidst seven hits and three strikeouts.  Freshman Anna Schurch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) finished the game from the rubber, giving up one hit and an earned run in three innings of work.

Offensively, Sigurdsen had one of the Eagles' best performances at the plate going a combined 3-7 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI.  Rodgers was also successful with the bat, going 4-7 with an RBI and one run scored.  Ruby and Witthus were each 2-4 in Game 2.

Northwestern (1-1 overall) will return to practice mode to gear up for the team's annual Spring Break trip to Florida.  The Eagles are scheduled to play 11 games in the Sunshine State, beginning with contests against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Widener University on March 4.