Friday, March 9

Houston, Texas

10 a.m. CT

Northwestern

11-8

Iowa State

10-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Iowa State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Northwestern	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5	1

Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera

Morgan Newport Fires Two-Hitter in NU Walk-Off Win Over Iowa State, 1-0

3/9/2018 11:58:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

HOUSTON – Sophomore Morgan Newport fired her second-straight shutout and Northwestern scored in the bottom of the seventh to walk off on Iowa State, 1-0, Friday in the opening game of the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic at Cougar Stadium.

Northwestern now is 11-8 on the season while Iowa State falls to 10-11 overall with its loss.

Northwestern is back in action later today in a non-conference contest against Penn State scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.

Newport (5-2) tossed a career-best two-hitter for her second-career shutout, which came on the heels of a four-hit blanking of No. 11 Alabama Sunday in Seattle. The sophomore allowed just five base runners total on the two hits with two walks and one Wildcats error. She fanned a season-high five batters, and largely cruised through the game until a dicey seventh, which she handled with aplomb.

Entering this calendar week, Newport had gone seven innings in her career just once and had never recorded a collegiate shutout. She now has two.

Newport picked up right where she left off Friday morning, striking out the Iowa State side in the top of the first following a leadoff walk. With a fourth strikeout to kick off the top of the second, Newport had already matched her season high for Ks just four batters into the game.

Iowa State did not record its first hit of the game until there were two outs in the fourth, and Newport responded with an easy groundout to Mac Dunlap at third. Then, when the Cyclones drew a two-out walk in the fifth, senior Sammy Nettling stepped up to throw the runner out stealing to end the inning.

Offensively for the Wildcats, Sabrina Rabin led off the bottom of the first with a double, but was erased when Northwestern flew into an inning-ending double play. Brooke Marquez doubled with one out in the fifth but ended that inning standing at second. Outside of those threats, this was a pitcher's duel between Newport and Savannah Sanders of Iowa State until the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, Iowa State put the game's first true rally on the board in the most critical of innings. After a one-out single, an error in the outfield resulted in runners at second and third with one away. Newport hit the next batter with first base open to load them before coaxing an infield popup and a weakly-hit comebacker to leave 'em loaded and keep the game scoreless.

Northwestern seized on the momentum and turned it into a game-ending rally. Rachel Lewis drew a leadoff walk, but was put out in a pickle on a bunt single off the bat of Morgan Nelson. Nelson ended up at second on the play and raced around to score with Lily Novak doubled down the right field line to walk it off for the 'Cats.

Rabin had a two-hit day at the plate to lead NU. Rabin, Marquez and Novak each recorded doubles among the Wildcats five hits in the contest.