Softball Subdues Indiana, 4-3

Saturday, April 15

Bloomington, Ind.

1:00 PM CT

Northwestern

Indiana

4/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball

April 15, 2000EVANSTON, Ill. -The Northwestern University softball team erased two deficits Saturday afternoon, and Brett Nakabayashi's RBI single in the top of the sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Wildcats defeated Indiana, 4-3, in Bloomington.

The win improved NU to 17-17 (5-2 Big Ten), while IU fell to 12-28 (2-9 Big Ten). These teams will meet again Sunday to conclude the series.

Indiana drew first blood Saturday, scoring a pair of runs in the second inning off Wildcat starter Brie Brown. However, Northwestern came back to tie it in the fourth. With two down, Alyson Schultz and Rane Gunderson singled, and then Mikie Chambers reached on an error that allowed pinch runner Stacey Austin to score. Chambers got caught in a rundown, but before she was tagged out Gunderson scored to level the game at 2-2.

The Hoosiers again took the lead in the fifth with a single run off of reliever Brooke Siebel, but the Wildcats came right back to take the lead for good in the sixth. With one out and two on, Gunderson reached base while pinch runner Brittany Nelson scored. Two batters later, Nakabayashi laid down a beautiful bunt, which she beat out for a single, to score Gretchen Barnes with the winning run.

Siebel and Lauren Schwendimann pitched an inning apiece after that, holding IU hitless.