Saturday, May 6

Iowa City, IA

2 p.m. CT

Northwestern

23-28, 9-13

Iowa

19-30, 9-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northwestern	1	2	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	6	11	5
Iowa	1	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	7	7	5

Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera

Iowa Outlasts Northwestern in Saturday Marathon, 7-6 (11)

5/6/2017 5:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa – In a rough trip for both teams with a combined 10 errors and 10 unearned runs, Iowa scored in the bottom of the seventh to tie and then again in the bottom of the 11^th to defeat Northwestern Saturday, 7-6 (11), in a marathon outing at Bob Pearl Field.

Northwestern now is 23-28 on the season, 9-13 in the Big Ten. Iowa is 19-30, 9-13 in the league. The two teams close the regular season at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, Sunday, May 7 on BTN Plus.

The Wildcats pounced from the starter's call when Sabrina Rabin doubled and Krista Williams followed that with an infield single. Marissa Panko sacrificed both up a bag before Morgan Nelson sent a fly ball into the turf in left that was easily deep enough to send Rabin sprinting to the plate for a 1-0 NU lead.

The first batter to the plate in the Iowa half drew a walk against Northwestern starter Nicole Bond. Iowa used a pair of outs on the infield to get her to third, then knotted the score on a passed ball.

The Wildcats got out of the gate quickly in the second in response. Iowa starter Shayla Starkenburg hit Sammy Nettling to start the inning, then Anna Petersen doubled down the left field line. One out later, Alcy Bush laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt that was so good, it ended up being an RBI single to plate Nettling. Bush later stole second, coaxing a bad throw that allowed Petersen to race home from third to make it a 3-1 contest.

Both Bond and Starkenburg settled in for the back stretch, reigning in a stray runner here and there until a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth made it to third on an error. Kenzie Ellis entered the circle in relief of Bond at that point, but a hit batter and another NU error loaded the bases with nobody gone. One run came home on a passed ball, but a strikeout and a force at the plate had Northwestern appearing to recover from the slow start to the inning. Iowa, however, delivered a big blow, clearing the bases on a single with an error to take a 5-3 lead.

Just like the last time Iowa started to pull in front, Northwestern was able to surge back into the lead. Nelson led off with an infield single and stole second. With one out, Nettling grounded toward the shortstop, but the Hawkeye threw wide of the bag at first, resulting in Nettling being safe on an error while Nelson moved to third. Then both Petersen and Brooke Marquez put balls in play on the infield, and both times Iowa tried unsuccessfully to get the runner at the plate, resulting in a pair of runs coming home to tie the score. Rabin capped the rally with an RBI single into right, pushing NU back in front as the teams came down the stretch, 6-5.

Northwestern nearly added another length between it and the trail team, but after Nelson got to third following a one-out single and an error, the Hawkeyes were able to escape without the Wildcats' lead widening.

In the bottom of the seventh, Bush made a phenomenal stretch at first to glove a ball and retire the Hawkeyes' leadoff slapper. Northwestern then inserted Morgan Newport into the circle for a save attempt, but the first batter to the plate against her tripled to the wall in right. Newport then issued a walk after a protracted at-bat with many foul balls, giving Iowa runners at the corners.

In a tight race to the wire, Newport got a monstrous strikeout for the second out. On the third strike, the runner at first stole second. With first base now open, Newport issued an unintentional intentional pass to the next Hawkeye batter, loading the bases and setting up a force everywhere. A weakly hit grounder then found its way into the 5-6 hole, and the throw to third was not in time for the final out, allowing the tying run to come home. Newport recovered to fan the next batter, sending the game into the eighth.

In that frame, Starkenburg hit Petersen with the first pitch she threw. NU sacrificed her to second, but that's all the farther the #B1GCats got. The Wildcats then committed two errors in the bottom of the inning, but Newport was able to work around both of them to keep the contest going into the ninth.

Northwestern was able to get runners aboard in each of its extra innings from there, but never could get the RBI base knock. In the bottom of the 11^th, NU's fifth error – and the 10^th between the teams – gave the Hawkeyes a leadoff runner at second. She moved to third on a groundout, and scored the game-ending run on a little flare that fell just into left field.

Newport (7-6) ended up taking the loss, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 4.0 frames of relief. Bond went 4.0 innings in her start, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and two walks with a K. Ellis tossed 2.1 frames, giving up three unearned runs on a hit and a walk with a strikeout.

At the plate, Nelson was 3-for-5, Bush went 2-for-4 and Rabin had two hits as well, extending her current hitting streak to 12 games. Petersen scored two runs.