Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, April 13
Evanston, Ill.
3:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
24-13, 7-5
10
vs
2
Ohio State
26-9, 7-5
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6
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H
E
Ohio State
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0
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5
2
Northwestern
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5
10
8
1
NU Makes It Rain In Run-Rule Of No. 22 Ohio State; Saturday Postponed
4/13/2018 7:01:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern blasted three home runs including a pair from Morgan Nelson Friday, racing away from No. 22 Ohio State in a 10-2 (6) run-rule victory at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Saturday's game has been postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a noon CT doubleheader Sunday, April 15, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Northwestern now is 24-13 overall on the season, 7-5 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is 26-9, 7-5 in the league.
BUY YOUR NORTHWESTERN TICKETS AND SEASON PASSES HERE!
Starting pitcher Kenna Wilkey was SHARP out of the gate in the circle, and she got the 'Cats on the board first offensively in the bottom of the second, as well. Sammy Nettling started the second with a walk, then one out later Lily Novak was hit by a pitch. Wilkey stepped up and crushed a single into right field, and the Ohio State fielder booted it to allow Nettling to race home for a 1-0 Northwestern lead after the two complete innings.
After a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the third that featured two primo plays from shortstop Marissa Panko, Morgan Nelson added a run to the #B1GCats lead with a towering solo home run to dead center field with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Nelson's ball was made all the more impressive by the fact that there was a testy wind howling in from the outfield.
In the top of the fourth, Ohio State tied the game with a two-out single followed by a home run. The score remained 2-2 until an exciting bottom of the fifth.
In that frame, Sabrina Rabin reached on a one-out infield single before Rachel Lewis lined a full-count offering over the fence in left field to put the Wildcats back on top in the contest. Nelson followed Lewis with a TOWERING shot off the top of the Welsh-Ryan Arena wall in left field to make it a 5-2 contest.
The back-to-back #B1GCats jacks marked the fourth time this season that Lewis and Nelson have gone back-to-back. Lewis now has 13 homers in her first collegiate season while Nelson has 10 on the year and 20 for her career.
The home runs prompted Ohio State to lift starter Shelby McCombs from the circle in favor of Kat Duvall, who ended the inning.
Ohio State threatened big time in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs in the midst of a persistent rain. Wilkey settled in to get a two-hopper to short where Panko corralled it and flipped to Lewis covering second to end the inning.
Northwestern put together its own bases-loaded rally in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of some Ohio State wildness to end the game early with a five-run outburst. Wilkey, Dunlap and Rabin all walked against Duvall to load the bases with one out. The Buckeyes inserted Morgan Ray into the circle, and she promptly walked Lewis and Nelson to force in a pair of runs. A wild pitch sent Rabin scampering to the plate to make it an 8-2 contest before the umpires decided it was a bit too wet and many conversations broke out on the field. While the exceptional Northwestern grounds crew staff patched up the pitcher's circle and the rains subsided to a drizzle, Ohio State re-entered McCombs into the circle. A fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Nettling resulted in everybody being safe, then Panko ended the game with a two-run single to right.
Wilkey went the distance, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts to move to 10-4 on the season.
Nelson had another outstanding day at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with her two home runs while driving in three and scoring three times. Lewis drove in three as well and scored twice herself. Panko finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Rabin scored two times.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Saturday's game has been postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a noon CT doubleheader Sunday, April 15, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Northwestern now is 24-13 overall on the season, 7-5 in the Big Ten. Ohio State is 26-9, 7-5 in the league.
BUY YOUR NORTHWESTERN TICKETS AND SEASON PASSES HERE!
Starting pitcher Kenna Wilkey was SHARP out of the gate in the circle, and she got the 'Cats on the board first offensively in the bottom of the second, as well. Sammy Nettling started the second with a walk, then one out later Lily Novak was hit by a pitch. Wilkey stepped up and crushed a single into right field, and the Ohio State fielder booted it to allow Nettling to race home for a 1-0 Northwestern lead after the two complete innings.
After a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the third that featured two primo plays from shortstop Marissa Panko, Morgan Nelson added a run to the #B1GCats lead with a towering solo home run to dead center field with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Nelson's ball was made all the more impressive by the fact that there was a testy wind howling in from the outfield.
Morgan Nelson with a solo shot to dead center field adds another run to the #B1GCats total. This was a soaring shot!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 13, 2018
Northwestern 2, Ohio State 0 | T4 pic.twitter.com/YhaMPEjI6j
In the top of the fourth, Ohio State tied the game with a two-out single followed by a home run. The score remained 2-2 until an exciting bottom of the fifth.
In that frame, Sabrina Rabin reached on a one-out infield single before Rachel Lewis lined a full-count offering over the fence in left field to put the Wildcats back on top in the contest. Nelson followed Lewis with a TOWERING shot off the top of the Welsh-Ryan Arena wall in left field to make it a 5-2 contest.
Rachel Lewis strikes again!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 13, 2018
The first-year with her 13th home of the season to put the #B1GCats back on top in the fifth inning!!!
NU 4, Ohio State 2 | B5 pic.twitter.com/oMe5p9obK9
For the fourth time this year...
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 13, 2018
BACK-TO-BACK JACKS FOR THE 'CATS!!!
Morgan Nelson with her second solo shot of the game and NU is up by three!!
Northwestern 5, Ohio State 2 | B5 pic.twitter.com/VJczJFz2u2
The back-to-back #B1GCats jacks marked the fourth time this season that Lewis and Nelson have gone back-to-back. Lewis now has 13 homers in her first collegiate season while Nelson has 10 on the year and 20 for her career.
The home runs prompted Ohio State to lift starter Shelby McCombs from the circle in favor of Kat Duvall, who ended the inning.
Ohio State threatened big time in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs in the midst of a persistent rain. Wilkey settled in to get a two-hopper to short where Panko corralled it and flipped to Lewis covering second to end the inning.
Northwestern put together its own bases-loaded rally in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of some Ohio State wildness to end the game early with a five-run outburst. Wilkey, Dunlap and Rabin all walked against Duvall to load the bases with one out. The Buckeyes inserted Morgan Ray into the circle, and she promptly walked Lewis and Nelson to force in a pair of runs. A wild pitch sent Rabin scampering to the plate to make it an 8-2 contest before the umpires decided it was a bit too wet and many conversations broke out on the field. While the exceptional Northwestern grounds crew staff patched up the pitcher's circle and the rains subsided to a drizzle, Ohio State re-entered McCombs into the circle. A fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Nettling resulted in everybody being safe, then Panko ended the game with a two-run single to right.
Wilkey went the distance, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts to move to 10-4 on the season.
Nelson had another outstanding day at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with her two home runs while driving in three and scoring three times. Lewis drove in three as well and scored twice herself. Panko finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Rabin scored two times.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilkey, Kenna (10-4)
L: McCombs, Shelby (11-3)
Batting:
2B: Sturgeon, Bailee 1
HR: McCombs, Shelby 1
RBI: McCombs, Shelby 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Goodwin, Ashley 1 ; McCombs, Shelby 1
Batting:
2B: Panko, Marissa 1
HR: Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 2
RBI: Lewis, Rachel 3 ; Nelson, Morgan 3 ; Panko, Marissa 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 2 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 3 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1 ; Dunlap, Mac 1
SB: Panko, Marissa 1
CS: Boyd, Abbey 1
HBP: Novak, Lily 1 ; Marquez, Brooke 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
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