ST. PAUL, Minn. - In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season, the University of Northwestern faced off against Bethany Lutheran, the undefeated top team in the UMAC. The Eagles came out with energy and confidence, striking first in the opening inning and never looking back in a 6-1 victory that handed the Vikings their first conference loss of the season.
Northwestern set the tone immediately in the top of the first. Behind the plate, Hannah Lexvold (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake Area) threw out a runner attempting to steal second for the first out, and Ireland Strubbe (Chandler, Ariz./Valley Christian) continued in her strikeout ways from the circle, delivering two strikeouts to close the inning.
The Eagles carried that momentum into the bottom half, where Lani Schoper (Madison Lake, Minn./Mankato West) launched a no-doubt leadoff home run over the left field wall, her fourth of the season and second in consecutive games. Bryn Anderson (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) followed with a single, and Emma Edwards (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) battled through a full count before driving a double to the wall to put two runners in scoring position. Gabrielle Keith (Marble Rock, Iowa/Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock) then dropped a hit over the infield to bring home Northwestern's second run.
Kate Van Ess (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg Casco) led off the second with a single, but Bethany Lutheran turned a double play to end the threat. The Eagles again pressured in the third but were unable to add to their lead. The Vikings responded in the fourth with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Northwestern answered emphatically in the bottom of the fourth, batting through the lineup and scoring four runs. Lexvold reached on a single and advanced to second on an overthrown ball, with Emma Westrate (Fall Creek, Wis./Fall Creek) entering as a pinch runner and moving to third on a wild pitch. Van Ess delivered a triple to bring Westrate home, extending the lead. Jenna Nusbaum (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) followed with a sacrifice fly, and Schoper and Anderson both beat out throws to keep the inning alive. Edwards worked another strong at-bat to draw a walk and load the bases, and Kate Trump (Faribault, Minn/Bethlehem Academy) capped the inning with an 11-pitch battle that ended in a two-RBI double to the fence, forcing a pitching change.
Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth. In the sixth, Northwestern worked out of a jam with runners on second and third as Strubbe recorded two more strikeouts. Her seventh strikeout of the game marked a historic moment, as the senior became the program's all-time career strikeout leader with 380, cementing her place among the best pitchers in school history.
Holding a five-run lead heading into the seventh, the energy at Reynolds Field was palpable. Strubbe closed the game in dominant fashion, finishing with a swinging strikeout to secure the 6-1 win.
Schoper led the offense with a 3-4 performance, including her home run and two runs scored. Edwards and Van Ess each went 2-3, with Van Ess adding an RBI. Trump finished 1-3 with a double and two RBI, while Keith added an RBI of her own. In the circle, Strubbe was outstanding, pitching a complete game while allowing just one run on four hits. She struck out nine and walked only one.
Northwestern returns tomorrow for a doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran, with a chance to claim the regular season title. Senior Day festivities will take place between games, scheduled for 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.
