MAPLE GROVE, Minn. – Friday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Opener was just what the doctor ordered for the University of Northwestern Softball team, coming off a couple of tough losses to St. Olaf College on Tuesday. The Eagles scored runs in four of five innings versus North Central University, including at least six in three of those innings, on their way to a 23-0 clobbering of the Rams.
The scoring began in modest fashion in the first inning, with
Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) bringing in
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) on a groundout. The second inning was where Northwestern really took control via a two-out rally.
Hannah Storey (Big Lake, Minn./Monticello) hit a three-run, bases-clearing double to give her team a 3-0 lead. Schoper singled her home to make it 4-0, then scored herself on an error by North Central.
Bryn Anderson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) singled to plate
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) and cap off the six-run inning which made the score 7-0.
The third inning was even more explosive for UNW. After
Kate Trump (Faribault, Minn/Bethlehem Academy) got all the way to third base on an error,
Riley Summers (Fontana, Wis./Big Foot) singled her home. Summers came around to score on a single by Gee, then Storey singled to score
Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake). The hit parade continued as a Schoper single brought Gee home, then Iverson singled to load the bases. Another Anderson single produced two more runs, bringing the score to 13-0. The Eagles again filled the bases after the second out was recorded, which resulted in Anderson scoring when Beer was plunked with a pitch.
Alayna Spiess (Nowthen, Minn./Pact Charter School) delivered a pinch-hit single to bring in Trump for the final run of the inning with the score at 15-0.
After shutting down NCU again in the third inning, Northwestern put up another eight runs in the fourth. The first run was scored by Schoper when
Whitney Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua Area) drew a bases-loaded walk. Two more came in via a
Lexi Gonzalez (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) double, then
Emma Morrissey (Wasilla, Alas./Colony) singled Skrede home. Gonzalez scored to make it 20-0 on another Schoper single, then a
Kacey Boschetti (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area) one-bagger plated Spiess. Two more RBI singles, courtesy of
Emma Edwards (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) and
Abigail Washburn (Prosper, Tex./Homeschool), delivered the final runs of the game to give UNW a 23-0 advantage.
In addition to all the hits and runs,
Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) was outstanding in the circle, going the distance and striking out eight, while only giving up four hits and zero runs. Schoper went 4-6 at the plate with four RBI and four runs, while Summers was a perfect 3-3 with an RBI. Storey also drove in four runs and collected two hits, including a double. Anderson logged two hits and drove in three runs, while Gonzalez picked up two RBI in a 2-2 showing. 13 different Eagles had at least one RBI in the contest.
Northwestern will square off with North Central two more times this weekend, with Saturday's doubleheader commencing at 1:00 PM in Maple Grove.
