Saturday, February 11
Tucson, Ariz.
8 p.m. CT/7 p.m. MT
Northwestern
1-3
3
vs
4
Fordham
4-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Fordham
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
4
4
2
Northwestern
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
3
11
1
Northwestern Comeback Falls 60 Feet Short to Fordham
2/11/2017 10:52:00 PM | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. – Northwestern spotted Fordham four early runs and mounted massive rallies in each of the final three innings, but could not finish off the comeback in a 4-3 loss to the Rams Saturday night at the Hillenbrand Invitational.
Fordham improves to 4-1 on the year with its victory, while Northwestern now is 1-3 on the season with its loss.
Northwestern concludes its Hillenbrand Invitational Opening Weekend schedule at 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. MT tomorrow, Sunday, February 12, against Cal State Northridge.
Fordham quickly put a pair of runs on the board against Northwestern starter Kenzie Ellis, turning a leadoff error and a one-out walk into scores via an RBI groundout and a two-out base hit. In the top of the third, another two-out single delivered two more Rams runs for a 4-0 Fordham lead.
The Wildcats attempted to begin their comeback in the bottom of the third. Junior Brooke Marquez led off with a booming double into left-center field before Krista Williams and Sabrina Rabin infield singles loaded the bases with one gone. Fordham ace Lauren Quense got a pop-up and a strikeout, however, to keep NU off the board.
Ellis retired seven in a row entering the bottom of the fifth, and there Northwestern's rally did begin in earnest. With one out, Williams walked, moving to second on a Rabin single and to third on an error. Then, with two outs, Morgan Nelson, Kenzie Ellis and Anna Petersen all delivered RBI singles to plate three NU runs and cut the Wildcats deficit all the way down to a single run, 4-3.
Ellis ran her consecutive batters retired streak to 10 with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, then NU rallied again. Alcy Bush started it with a single, moving to second when the throw on a Williams' fielder's choice grounder got away for an error. Rabin then put a ball in play that erased Bush at third, but pinch hitter Lily Novak was hit by a pitch to load the bases. No runs came from the rally, however.
Fordham got its first base runner since the third inning with one out in the seventh against Ellis, but Marquez grabbed a soft liner at second and doubled up the runner for an inning-ending double play.
Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Ellis and Petersen both singled to start one final rally. A popped up bunt accounted for the first out, then a fielder's choice grounder erased Petersen at second but moved Ellis -- the tying run -- to third with two outs. The game would end with her standing there.
Ellis went the distance in the circle and took the loss to move to 0-1 on the season. She threw 7.0 frames, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts. After the slow start, she allowed just one base runner following the third inning.
Ellis also led NU at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Petersen and Rabin also had two hits for NU.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: QUENSE, Lauren (3-0)
L: Ellis, Kenzie (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: MAYER, Lindsay 1 ; SHAW, Madison 1 ; QUENSE, Lauren 2
Base Running:
RUNS: VAN HOVEN, Amy 1 ; CANESSA, Sydney 2 ; MAYER, Lindsay 1
Batting:
2B: Marquez, Brooke 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Ellis, Kenzie 1 ; Petersen, Anna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Williams, Krista 1
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Williams, Krista 1
HBP: Novak, Lily 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
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