Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
36-16
Michigan State
26-26
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 1 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Newport's No-Hitter Leads NU Past MSU, Into Big Ten Title Game
5/12/2018 7:59:00 PM | Softball
Northwestern now is 36-16 overall on the season while Michigan State concludes its season at 26-26.
NU advances to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since it won the event in 2008. The Wildcats will face No. 2 seed Minnesota, which defeated No. 7 seed Wisconsin in its quarterfinal game and No. 3 seed Indiana in its semifinal. That title game has been delayed by lightning until 10 a.m. Sunday.
Newport needed just 67 pitches to throw the first no-hitter in her career. It is the 51st no-hitter in Northwestern softball history and the first since Kristen Wood, Kenzie Ellis and Amy Letourneau combined for a no-no at Purdue on May 7, 2016.
Newport (14-7) allowed only a two-out walk in the first and a two-out error in the second to reach base in the contest. She fanned four.
Taking the field as visitors in this game, Northwestern pounced early. With one out, Rachel Lewis singled and then stole second base. Morgan Nelson followed with a line drive single into right that skipped by the fielder for an error, allowing Nelson to easily motor around to third base after driving in Lewis. Sammy Nettling then brought Nelson to the plate with a successful ball on the infield, making it a 2-0 contest heading into the bottom of the frame.
The #B1GCats are on the board first! Morgan Nelson with an RBI single (and error) as part of a two-run top of the first!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 12, 2018
NU 2, Michigan State 0 | B1 pic.twitter.com/3OlLoezOvM
NU kept coming in the second: to the tune of EIGHT runs in the frame! Kenna Wilkey led off with a spinny single that hopped by the shortstop. Abbey Boyd entered to run for Wilkey and moved up on a Brooke Marquez groundout before four-straight singles from Newport, Lily Novak, Sabrina Rabin and Lewis plated a trio of runs to make it a 5-0 contest. Midway through the rally, Michigan State replaced its starter Kristina Zalewski with Bridgette Rainey.
Rainey walked Nelson to load the bases with one out, then Nettling ripped a two-single back through the middle. A Marissa Panko walk loaded the bases again before, with two outs, Marquez sent the game into run-rule territory with a smoked double inside the left-field line, clearing the bases and making it a 10-0 contest.
Two-run single Sammy Nettling!! It's a FIVE-RUN second-inning rally!!!#B1GCats 7, Michigan State 0 | T2 pic.twitter.com/GBVrm4EfD1
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 12, 2018
Brooke Marquez CLEARS THE BASES with a double!!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 12, 2018
It's TEN-0 #B1GCats!!!!!!!!
NU 10, Michigan State 0 | T2 pic.twitter.com/GBXszHCYUT
From there, both teams settled in for the stretch drive to the run-rule. The Wildcats added a final offensive touch to their lead in the top of fifth when a Nettling bases-loaded walk forced home the 11th run of the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Newport through another 1-2-3 frame, fanning the final batter of the game.
THERE IT IS!! A NO-HITTER for Morgan Newport in an 11-0 (5) Big Ten Tournament semifinal WIN against Michigan State!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 13, 2018
The #B1GCats advance to the title game IMMEDIATELY versus Minnesota! pic.twitter.com/KNGVG8dMJV
Rabin had a three-hit game while Lewis had two hits and two runs scored. Nettling drove in four, Marquez drove in three, Newport had two hits and Nelson scored twice.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Newport, Morgan (14-7)
L: Kristina Zalewski (16-11)
Batting:
2B: Marquez, Brooke 1
RBI: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 4 ; Marquez, Brooke 3 ; Novak, Lily 1
SH: Nettling, Sammy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rabin, Sabrina 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Nelson, Morgan 2 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Boyd, Abbey 1 ; Newport, Morgan 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Dunlap, Mac 1
SB: Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Dunlap, Mac 1
HBP: Nelson, Morgan 1
