Wildcats Run Streak to Five Games With 6-4 Win at Saint Mary's

3/21/2017 7:10:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

MORAGA, Calif. – Northwestern capped its Spring Break 2017 trip to Northern California Tuesday with a 6-4 win at Saint Mary's, giving the Wildcats a five-game winning streak heading into their home and Big Ten opening weekend at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

Northwestern now is 11-14 overall on the year while Saint Mary's falls to 11-17 on the season with its loss. The Wildcats concluded the preconference portion of 2017 with the nation's No. 1 strength of schedule according to the first RPI report of the year issued by the NCAA Monday.

NU opens its home schedule this weekend, March 24-26, against No. 22 Wisconsin at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. First pitch Friday, March 24, is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT. Tickets are available at NUsports.com, and the Wildcats are having a season-ticket giveaway extravaganza all week long with one raffle prize per day being awarded to current 2017 season ticket holders. Get in on the action!

BUY NORTHWESTERN SOFTBALL SEASON TICKETS TODAY!

Saint Mary's gave a rocky greeting to Northwestern starter Nicole Bond in the game, patiently waiting her out to load the bases with one down in the bottom of the first before taking an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly.

After a fantastic bounce-back 1-2-3 bottom of the second from Bond, Northwestern's offense picked up its hurler in the top of the third with a big ol' crooked number. Junior Renee Ariola pinch hit to lead off the frame, sending the first base hit of her career into center field. Krista Williams sacrificed Ariola to second before a passed ball moved her to third. Marissa Panko then put a ball in play back to the pitcher, who committed an error trying to retire Ariola at the plate allowing NU to knot the game, 1-1.

Later, with two outs, Brooke Marquez walked to join Panko on base before Morgan Nelson delivered an RBI single and Anna Petersen Petey-ed a big two-run double to left center to quickly enhance the Wildcats' edge to three, 4-1.

Saint Mary's lifted starter Izzy Ortiz for Katie Moss after the Petersen double, and Moss struck out the next Wildcat to end the rally.

All was quiet on the western front until the bottom of the fifth. After a rocky first, Bond retired nine of the next 10 batters she faced, but a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth led to Kenzie Ellis entering in relief. She quickly hit a batter before a ground out pushed both runners into scoring position. The sophomore was able to get a groundout and a lineout to Williams in center to keep NU on top by three.

Nelson used her wheels to add another run to NU's total in the sixth. She bunted her way aboard then stole second AND third. Her swipe of third came with a throwing error by the Gaels' catcher, allowing Nelson to scamper home for a 5-1 Wildcats lead.

Northwestern tacked on one final run in the top of the seventh. With one out, Williams singled and stole second, then came around to score when Panko singled into left and it was booted for an error.

Ellis was dominant in the circle in the latter stages of the game, not allowing a single base runner to reach after her initial HBP until the bottom of the seventh, when things got a bit dramatic. There, the Gaels loaded the bases on a one-out single, a two-out walk and a two-out single. Ellis hit the next batter to force across Saint Mary's second run before a single to center added another to the Gaels' rally. With the tying run now at first base, Morgan Newport entered the circle in relief.

Another run would come in and push the tying run into scoring position, but Newport struck out the next batter to end the game and pick up her second save of the season.

Bond (2-4) picked up the win, going four-plus innings and allowing one run on two hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts. Ellis went 2.2 frames, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Nelson led Northwestern at the plate with a 2-for-3 days, stealing two bases, scoring twice and driving in a run. Panko also had two hits and two steals in the game.