Sunday, February 12
Tucson, Ariz.
11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. MT
Northwestern
1-4
5
vs
7
Cal State Northridge
1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Northwestern
0
4
0
0
0
0
1
5
6
3
Cal State Northridge
0
1
0
5
0
1
X
7
7
1
Nelson Grand Slam Not Enough in 7-5 Loss to Northridge
2/12/2017 12:51:00 PM | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Sophomore Morgan Nelson staked Northwestern to a 4-0 lead over Cal State Northridge Sunday with her second-career grand slam, but the Matadors took advantage of three Wildcats errors to come back and claim a 7-5 win over NU.
Both Northwestern and Cal State Northridge conclude their Hillenbrand Invitational schedules with 1-4 records after this game.
Northwestern returns to action next weekend, Feb. 17-19, at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge hosted by Florida State.
In the top of the first, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out via a Marissa Panko walk, Morgan Nelson hit by pitch and Kenzie Ellis single before Northridge escaped. In the second inning, there was no such escape.
This time, Alcy Bush and Krista Williams started the rally with walks. Sabrina Rabin reached base on a ground ball that erased Bush, then Panko singled on the infield to load the bases with two gone. This time, Nelson pummeled a pitch deep over the left-centerfield fence for a grand slam and a 4-0 Northwestern lead.
Nelson's home run was her second of the season and the 10th of her career. It was her second grand slam after she hit a walk-off slam last season against North Carolina in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
The Matadors rallied back to get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the second, turning a leadoff single and an error into runners at second and third with no outs. Ellis in the circle allowed only one of those runners to score on an RBI groundout before snuffing out the rally with NU on top, 4-1.
Cal State Northridge pulled back within a single run with a one-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. The Matadors continued to push with a two-out walk and a Northwestern error, leading freshman Morgan Newport to take over in the circle for Ellis. The next batter beat out an infield single to load the bases, then three more runs came home before the rally finally ended with the Matadors on top, 6-4.
After CSUN tacked on another run in the sixth, Northwestern entered the seventh trailing by three, 7-4. Bush began the inning by singling to left, then gave way to pinch runner Abbey Boyd, who was erased at second by a Williams fielder's choice ball to short. Rabin put a ball in play to third that got by the fielder and was ruled an error, then Panko singled back to the pitcher to load the bases with one out.
Nelson brought Williams home with a sacrifice fly to center for the second out, cutting the deficit to 7-5, but that is all the close NU would get.
Ellis (0-2) pitched 3.2 innings in the start, allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with one strikeout. Newport tossed the final 2.1 frames, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with two Ks.
Panko had two hits and Nelson had a four-RBI game for the Wildcats, giving her 10 total in the five-game tournament.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pofek, Daphne (1-2)
L: Ellis, Kenzie (0-2)
Batting:
HR: Nelson, Morgan 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 5
SF: Nelson, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Williams, Krista 2
CS: Williams, Krista 1
HBP: Nelson, Morgan 1
Batting:
HR: Alexander, Jessica 1
RBI: Glover, Taylor 2 ; Hooper, Katie 1 ; Alexander, Jessica 3
SH: Babbitt, Mackenzie 1 ; Kliebenstein, Tara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Babbitt, Mackenzie 1 ; Hooper, Katie 1 ; Kliebenstein, Tara 1 ; Alexander, Jessica 1 ; Fleming, Madison 1 ; Nate, Taylor 2
SB: Glover, Taylor 1 ; Nate, Taylor 1
HBP: Horvath, Savannah 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
5
p/dp
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballP
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
P/U
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
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