MANKATO, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Softball team opened the 2026 season on Valentine's Day with a pair of challenging matchups against MIAC opponents. The Eagles began the day against the No. 5-ranked team in the nation, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, falling 7-1. Northwestern returned to the field later that evening against Gustavus Adolphus College, coming up just short in a 5-3 battle.
GAME 1: Saint Mary's University Cardinals
With several new faces in the lineup, the University of Northwestern took the field at the Maverick All-Sports Dome for the Bethany Lutheran Dome Invite, opening the season against a veteran Saint Mary's squad ranked fifth in the nation.
Saint Mary's wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the opening frame and loading the bases early. Senior pitcher Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian) remained composed in the circle, retiring the final two batters of the inning to strand three runners and limit the damage. SMU would go on to score in each of the first four innings, while Northwestern was held hitless through the first four frames.
The Eagles began to find their rhythm in the fifth. Junior Kate Trump (Faribault, Minn/Bethlehem Academy) recorded Northwestern's first hit of the game, sparking some momentum, though she was left stranded to end the inning. The defense responded in the bottom half, shutting down Saint Mary's, going three-up, three-down for the first time all afternoon.
Northwestern broke through in the sixth inning. Hannah Storey (Big Lake, Minn./Monticello) ignited the rally by getting on base, then stealing second and advancing on a sacrifice from Trista Oberle (Hudson, Wis./Homeschool). Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) delivered with a clutch single to bring Storey home, putting the Eagles on the board.
UNW finished with three hits in the contest, coming from Storey, Schoper, and Trump. Storey scored the lone run, while Schoper tallied the team's only RBI. Defensively, Emma Edwards (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) anchored first base with seven putouts, and Strubbe went the distance in the circle. The senior struck out five batters over six innings, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs.
GAME 2: Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties
After a one-game break, the Eagles returned to the field to face Gustavus, who had just completed its previous contest. Northwestern struck early as Schoper led off with a single. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball before Edwards drove her home with a base hit to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, the Gusties loaded the bases, but Northwestern turned a 6-3 putout to keep them off the board. The defensive effort continued in the third when Hannah Lexvold (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake Area) tagged out a runner at home to preserve the shutout.
Kate Van Ess (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg Casco) and Trump both reached base in the fourth and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Oberle, but the Eagles were unable to extend the lead. In the fifth inning, with runners on first and second and one out, Kailynn Duncan (Barron, Wis./Barron) entered the circle in relief of Addisyn Hansen (Tea, S.D./Tea Area). Gustavus capitalized with timely hitting to plate three runs and take the lead. GAC extended their lead to four in the top of the sixth, but Northwestern answered in the bottom of the inning when Emma Westrate (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek) brought Oberle home to cut the deficit to three. The Eagles loaded the bases later in the inning, but Gustavus secured the final out to halt the comeback attempt.
In the seventh, Van Ess scored on a double from Trump to keep Northwestern within striking distance. With the tying run on second, graduate student Gabrielle Keith (Marble Rock, Iowa/Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock) stepped to the plate in her return from injury. Keith, who is tied for the program's career home run record with 13, narrowly missed on her final two swings as the Gusties held on for the 5-3 win.
Trump led the Eagles at the plate, going 3-3 with one RBI. Schoper finished with 2 hits, and Westrate and Edwards each tallied one hit and one RBI. Hansen, with her first collegiate start in the circle, pitched 4 innings with four hits and two earned runs. Duncan pitched the final three innings with two strikeouts, seven hits, and three earned runs.
The Eagles will return to the Maverick All-Sports Dome next week to conclude the Bethany Lutheran Dome Invite. Northwestern is scheduled to face Hamline University at 6:00 PM and St. Catherine University at 8:30 PM on Saturday, February 21.
