WINTER HAVEN, Fla.- It was a dramatic day for the University of Northwestern Softball team on Tuesday as they played two tightly contested games, coming out on top in the opener, and falling just short in the finale. The Eagles defeated Thomas College 4-3 on a walk-off base hit by
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall), and fell to Nebraska Wesleyan University by the same score, 4-3.
Game One
The Eagles from Northwestern and the Terriers from Thomas played a very well-pitched, close game in Florida on Tuesday morning. The game would go down to the wire and would need an extra inning to decide a winner.
Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) got the start for the Eagles and pitched a scoreless first inning against the Terriers' lineup. The Eagles would also be held scoreless their first time up to bat in the bottom of the first inning. The Terriers would play "small ball" to get a couple of runs to open the scoring in the second inning. Thomas College used an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt that scored a run to take a 2-0 lead.
It would not take long for UNW to respond. In the bottom of the second inning,
Maggie Oehlerking (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) would draw a leadoff walk. The old phrase "walks will haunt" would ring true in this frame as Oehlerking came around to score on a pop fly off the bat of
Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) that was misplayed by the Thomas defense. After a scoreless third inning from each team, Thomas College had a 2-1 lead entering the fourth inning.
The Terriers would extend their lead when they came up to bat in the fourth inning. An error by the Eagles' defense would bring in a run and UNW's deficit doubled to two runs. However, once again, the Eagles' offense was up to the task and immediately responded.
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Central Methodist) came up with a clutch two run single that scored
Jenna Nusbaum (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The game would remain deadlocked at 3-3 for a long time. The fifth, sixth, and seventh innings would pass by scoreless and the two teams entered extra innings each looking for one big swing of the bat to win the game. The Eagles got that big swing in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The inning started with
Gabrielle Keith (Marble Rock, Iowa/Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock) on second base and
Jenna Nusbaum (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) laid down a bunt that moved her to third base.
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) then stepped into the batter's box and delivered the biggest swing of the day. Her single into left field would score Keith and give the Eagles a 4-3 win.
In addition to making some important plays with her bat,
Jenna Nusbaum (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) was fantastic in the circle for UNW. The freshman threw six innings of relief, did not allow an earned run, and picked up the win for the Eagles.
Game Two
The second game of the day was just as tightly contested as the first, but saw the Eagles fall in a close contest this time. Once again, the Eagles found themselves in a hole that they needed to dig out of as they saw the Prairie Wolves from Nebraska Wesleyan score three runs in the first inning. NWU used an RBI double to left field, a single to center field, and a steal of home to get their three first inning runs.
Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian) would settle down for the Eagles and pitch five very strong innings after surrendering runs in the first inning. The freshman pitched scoreless second and third innings before giving up a lone run in the fourth inning. She would then blank the Prairie Wolves in the fifth and sixth innings as well. Strubbe's final stat line would be a complete game featuring six innings pitched, four runs allowed, and one strikeout.
Trailing 4-0 entering the fifth inning, the Eagles' offense went to work on mounting a comeback. It started when
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) would come around to score on a single to centerfield by the Eagles' centerfielder
Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake). With the deficit now 4-1, the Eagles would score two more runs in the sixth inning when
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Central Methodist) scored on an error and Bentley hit an RBI single to score
Maggie Oehlerking (Farmington, Minn./Farmington). UNW had fought their way back into the game and trailed by a single run, 4-3, entering the seventh and final inning.
UNW would not find a way to scrape one more run across in the seventh frame, and their comeback would come up just short, falling to Nebraska Wesleyan 4-3.
Up Next
UNW Softball's annual spring trip to Florida has flown by (as it always does) and is coming to a close in the next couple of days. The Eagles have an off day on Wednesday, and then will play their final game in Florida on Thursday, March 9
th against La Roche University.
