Clermont, FL –– The University of Northwestern softball team (5-4) defeated Penn State Behrend 2-1 and Monmouth College 7-0 on Tuesday morning.

Game One

Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) got the ball in game one, and she limited the Nittany Lions to one run. She managed to escape a dangerous situation in the first, Penn State Behrend had the bases loaded and nobody out. A force out at the plate, line out, and another ground ball helped her escape the damage. 

The Eagles took advantage right away as the senior captain took the first pitch she saw down the right-field line for a triple. The next pitch was laced to center by Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian), and she reached on an error that brought home Carlson. Two pitches after escaping the top of the first, Northwestern was in the lead. Northwestern had second and third with one out in the second, but they were unable to add to the lead.

Penn State Behrend tied the contest in the top of fourth thanks to a leadoff home run to center field. Northwestern responded in the bottom half of the frame when Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) also smacked a leadoff home run to left field to hand the Eagles the 2-1 lead. That was enough for Carlson as she retired twelve of the fourteen Nittany Lions after the home run.

Iverson had two hits, Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College) had a hit and drew a walk, and Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Central Methodist) and Carlson both contributed a hit.

Game Two

Northwestern carried over their success in game one to the second game against Monmouth College. Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) drew a two-out walk in the top of the first before Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College) reached on an error. Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) got her third hit of the day as she recorded an RBI single to give Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) the early 1-0 lead.

The Eagles had two runners in scoring position in the second, but they could not cash in. The one run in the first was all Heffron would need, though, as she scattered six hits while not allowing a run.

In the top of the fifth, Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) and Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) both singled before Roesler recorded a two-out, two-run double to make it 3-0. She advanced to third on a wild pitch before Iverson and Heffron drew walks to load the bases. Joelle Bounds (Verndale, Minn./Verndale Public) pinch hit and recorded an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-0.

In the sixth, Northwestern added three more. Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) and Carlson led off the inning with singles, but Beer was thrown out attempting to steal third. Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) put runners on the corners with a single, and Roesler recorded her third RBI of the game on a single. Iverson walked to load the bases before Chloe Kimmes (New Trier, Minn./Randolph) pinch hit and recorded a two-run single in her first collegiate at-bat to make it 7-0.

Northwestern recorded eleven hits as Carlson recorded two hits and a walk, Iverson had a hit and drew two walks, Roesler and Beer had two hits, and Bentley had a hit and a walk to round out the Eagles that reached multiple times. 

Up Next

Northwestern finishes its Florida trip with a contest against Aurora University on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm (EST) from Leesburg, Florida.