Northwestern
32-14, 13-6
Iowa
20-28, 6-13
Northwestern Honors Seniors With 6-2 Win Over Iowa
4/29/2018 2:40:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern sent its Seniors out winners Sunday at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, earning a 6-2 win over Iowa to take the series over the Hawkeyes in the final home game at The J in 2018.
Northwestern now is 32-14 overall on the season, 13-6 in the Big Ten, while Iowa is 20-28 on the year, 6-13 in the league.
The Wildcats have four remaining regular season games, all on the road beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at DePaul. NU then travels to Wisconsin for a May 4-6 series to conclude the Big Ten schedule.
Northwestern starter Kenna Wilkey, who took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning of this game, needed just nine pitches for a perfect top of the first. She got some tremendous defense behind her all game long, highlighted by these sweet plays:
MAC DUNLAP has been a BEAST at third base during this series! What a catch in a scoreless second!#B1GCats 2, Iowa 0 | B2 pic.twitter.com/3541ILluPD
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
Let's have more MAC DUNLAP highlights from third. She has three assists and a putout in this game, ALL spectacular!#B1GCats 3, Iowa 0 | B3 pic.twitter.com/k22D2pMq0t
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
More tremendous #B1GCats defense in the fourth! Lily Novak dives to stab a hard-hit ball at first to help keep Iowa off the board!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
NU 5, Iowa 0 | B4 pic.twitter.com/96lRIr8uLK
Offensively, the Wildcats got to work right away in the first inning honoring their seniors in the best way this team knows how: RUNS! Senior Sabrina Rabin led things off with a single into centerfield before swiping second. One out later, she motored around on a Morgan Nelson base hit to score the 200th run of her career, making it a 1-0 NU lead.
Career run No. 200 for Sabrina Rabin puts the #B1GCats on top in the first inning!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
Rabin is sixth in Big Ten history in runs scored!#B1GCats 1, Iowa 0 | B1 pic.twitter.com/0PcxteYnsD
Senior Sammy Netting drew a walk after the Nelson hit, then senior Marissa Panko put a bounder in play that was mishandled for a bases-loading error. Later, with two outs, Nettling slid in safely on a wild pitch to make it a 2-0 contest.
The Wildcats pushed more in the second. Morgan Newport and Rabin started the rally with back-to-back one-out singles before Rachel Lewis walked to load the bases. Nelson nearly smashed a grand slam, but her deep fly into right center died just in front of the wall for a solid sacrifice fly and a 3-0 Northwestern lead. Nettling nearly went yard herself, but her two-out fly was tracked down on the warning track in left center to end the inning.
In the third, Panko led off with a double into right field before a Lily Novak sacrifice bunt attempt ended up as a single with runners at second and third. Iowa elected to replace its starter Kenzie Ihle with Erin Riding, and Wilkey greeted Riding with a booming double to left center that plated both #B1GCats on base for a 5-0 lead.
Kenna Wilkey helps her own cause! A two-run double in the third!!#B1GCats 5, Iowa 0 | T4 pic.twitter.com/3BMLzDT6AH
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
Iowa got its first base runners of the game in the top of the fourth with a one-out walk and a two-out walk. Wilkey stranded both with a dominating strikeout to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, an Iowa pinch hitter recorded a two-out infield single deep in the hole at short to end the no-hit bid for Wilkey. The first-year recovered to retire the next Hawkeye no problem.
In the bottom half, Panko smashed a leadoff single before Wilkey ripped a one-out single of her own. With runners now at first and second, Iowa replaced Erin Riding in the circle with Ashley Yoways. Newport crushed a two-out RBI single to add a run to the NU total, making it a 6-0 game.
Morgan Newport rips a two-out RBI single in the fifth!#B1GCats 6, Iowa 0 | B5 pic.twitter.com/MZDc6vXAzA
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) April 29, 2018
The Hawkeyes found the scoreboard in the top of the sixth, turning a leadoff single into a pair of runs with a one-out home run that cut the Wildcats lead to four, 6-2.
Northwestern attempted an answer, but fell just short. In the bottom half, Nelson and Nettling both singled to start a rally and Iowa responded with its fourth pitcher of the game, Lauren Shaw. After an out, Novak laid down an incredible bunt and nobody covered first, leading to a bases-loading single. Shaw retired the next two batters, however, to end the inning.
Wilkey worked around an NU error in the top of the seventh to finish off the complete-game victory. She now has won nine-straight decisions and is 17-4 overall on the season after allowing two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
Rabin, Nelson, Panko, Novak, Wilkey and Newport all recorded two base hits apiece in the game. Nelson and Wilkey drove in two.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow@NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wilkey, Kenna (17-4)
L: Kenzie Ihle (2-4)
Batting:
HR: Allie Wood 1
RBI: Allie Wood 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Aralee Bogar 1 ; Allie Wood 1
SB: Aralee Bogar 2
Batting:
2B: Panko, Marissa 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Wilkey, Kenna 2 ; Newport, Morgan 1
SF: Nelson, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1 ; Newport, Morgan 1
SB: Rabin, Sabrina 1
HBP: Marquez, Brooke 1
