MORRIS, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Softball team took on the Minnesota Morris Cougars in the final game of the weekend series. UNW battled back after trailing 3-6 in the fifth inning, taking the game 10-6 with seventh-inning heroics. The Eagles also battled the inclement weather on a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon.
The Cougars scored first in the opening frame, but UNW responded in the top of the second with a run of their own.
Bryn Anderson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) singled and ran the rest of the way with the assistance of a triple from
Kate Trump (Faribault, Minn/Bethlehem Academy), who almost hit for the cycle in the series with a home run and double yesterday.
Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) got the Eagles going in the third inning with a double, and
Hannah Storey (Big Lake, Minn./Monticello) brought her the rest of the way with a laser up the middle. A single from
Jenna Nusbaum (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scored Storey after she had taken second on a wild pitch.
With the 3-1 lead, Northwestern made it as far as second in the next two innings, as the Cougar defense put up two zeros on the UNW scoresheet. Morris found an offensive surge in the bottom of the inning as they hit a three-RBI homerun to take the 4-3 lead, before adding two more runs to go up three.
In the sixth,
Trista Oberle (Hudson, Wis./Homeschool) barrelled the ball to the warning track, making it all the way to third on the contact. She then came home on a single from
Kate Van Ess (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg Casco). In the bottom of the inning, up two, the Cougars proceeded to load the bases, but the Eagles shut the door to stay within striking distance.
Emma Edwards (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) opened the final frame with a bomb over the left field wall. Anderson followed with a single, and Trump worked a walk for an Oberle double to tie the game. Trump was ready on third and took advantage of a wild pitch to take the one-run lead.
Hannah Lexvold (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake Area) watched four balls to walk to first. Schoper ripped a single up the middle on the first pitch to bring Oberle home and move Lexvold to second. Another walk for Storey loaded the bases for Edwards, who sent a single to left field for two RBI and the four-run lead.
With the six-run inning, UNW needed just three more outs to complete the comeback. The Eagles thought they won the game with a double play to end the inning, but after further review, they had only tagged one, keeping the inning alive. The game lasted only one more batter, as
Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian) delivered a strikeout to end the game officially.
Oberle led the Eagles, going 3-4 at the plate with an RBI, double, and triple. Edwards, Storey, and Anderson were all 2-4 on the afternoon. Edwards with three RBI and a homerun, and Storey with one RBI. Schoper was 3-5 with a double and one RBI. Nusbaum, Trump, and Van Ess each tallied one RBI.
In the circle,
Kailynn Duncan (Barron, Wis./Barron) started, pitching for the first inning. She struck out one batter, allowing one hit and one run.
Emma Morrissey (Wasilla, Alas./Colony) entered for the next four innings and was relieved with two outs in the fourth. Morrissey also struck out one batter, with six hits. Strubbe took over for the final out in the fourth and finished the game, earning the win. Strubbe struck out two, allowing no runs and only one hit.
Northwestern remained undefeated in conference, now 8-0, and moved to 16-10 on the season. They will play on Tuesday, April 14, at UW-Stout for a non-conference bout at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
