Louisville Grabs ACC/B1G Nightcap Over Northwestern, 3-2

2/16/2018 3:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – For the second-straight game, Louisville used a final-inning rally to come back and top Northwestern by a single run at the ACC/B1G Challenge, winning the doubleheader nightcap between the teams by a 3-2 score.

Northwestern falls to 4-3 on the season with its loss while Louisville improves to 6-1 on the year with its victory. The Cardinals took Game One between the two teams Friday by one run as well, 7-6 (8).

Northwestern is scheduled to return to action at 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET tomorrow, Saturday, February 17, against N.C. State. The game has been moved up from its original time of 4:30 p.m. CT due to forecasted poor weather in the Raleigh area.

In the top of the first, Marissa Panko drew a walk and was erased on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Rachel Lewis. With Lewis now at first, Kenna Wilkey hit a grounder to third, but the fielder threw the ball into right field. Lewis got aggressive in attempting to give the Wildcats an early lead, and Louisville was able to throw her out at the plate.

From there, a pitcher's duel developed between Northwestern starter Kaley Winegarner and Louisville hurler Danielle Watson. Winegarner worked around individual singles in each of the first, second and third innings without incident while Watson limited any Wildcat who found her way into scoring position.

That changed in the bottom of the fourth when Louisville got a leadoff single followed by a steal and another single to break the scoring stalemate and give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead heading into the fifth frame.

Northwestern fought back with True Grit and a heavy dose of first-year magic. It took nine pitches, but Mac Dunlap led off the top of the fifth with a well-deserved walk, moving to second one out later on a Lewis single. Wilkey followed with a first-pitch single back through the middle that plated Dunlap and knotted the score, 1-1.

Louisville tried a rally with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth, but Winegarner quickly shut the door. Then, in the top of the sixth, Morgan Nelson had a need…a need for speed. She forced a throwing error on a batted ball to lead off the frame, getting to second on the play. She then swiped third, putting herself in position to race home when Louisville's pitcher chucked a wild pitch third strike to Sammy Nettling, thereby giving Northwestern the lead, 2-1, on a play that otherwise went for an out.

A two-out Cardinals rally tied the game again in the bottom of the sixth. A single followed by a Wildcats error put a pair of runners on, then an infield single allowed a run to come around to once again knot the contest, 2-2.

Panko reached on an error and stole second to start the top of the seventh, with Lewis joining her on base via a walk. Unfortunately, the next Wildcats batter hit into a tailor-made double play to end the threat.

Louisville got a one-out double in the bottom of the seventh before Northwestern issued a free pass to the next batter with second base open. Winegarner got a strikeout before another walk loaded the bases, and Wilkey entered the circle in relief. With two outs, the batter put a ball in play to second base and the Wildcats went for the out at the second base bag, but the runner was ruled safe to allow Louisville to walk off, 3-2.

Winegarner (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6.2 frames in the circle.