Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, February 16
Chapel Hill, N.C.
2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET
Northwestern
0
at
5
North Carolina
'Cats Fall to UNC in Day 2 of B1G/ACC Challenge
2/16/2019 10:03:00 PM | Softball
Chapel Hill, N.C. – Following a rain delay which pushed the start of its game back by more than four hours, Northwestern was unable to get the bats going in a 5-0 setback to North Carolina on Saturday night in the second day of the B1G/ACC Challenge.
Northwestern still sits at 2-1 in the tournament, tied with North Carolina for the best record of the four participating teams, and will look to rebound tomorrow morning against Louisville.
Kenna Wilkey started the game for the Wildcats and turned in her longest outing of the season, pitching 5.1 innings and tallying five strikeouts while allowing two earned runs.
Wilkey got off to a quick start, cruising through the first 2.0 innings while striking out three and allowing no runs. An unearned run scored in the third inning via a throwing error, and two more came across in the fourth. Wilkey exited the circle with one out in the sixth inning for Morgan Newport, who allowed three hits in 1.2 innings of work.
At the plate, Jordyn Rudd, Nikki Cuchran, Lily Novak each recorded a single, while Skyler Shellmyer recorded her first career extra-base hit with a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Cuchran has now recorded a hit in five-consecutive games and leads the 'Cats with a .417 batting average (10-of-24) on the season, while Novak is 5-for-10 this weekend and has recorded a hit in six of Northwestern's eight games this season.
The #B1GCats wrap up the B1G/ACC Challenge tomorrow against Louisville with a chance to go 3-1 in the tournament and cap off another strong weekend performance. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. CT.
Northwestern still sits at 2-1 in the tournament, tied with North Carolina for the best record of the four participating teams, and will look to rebound tomorrow morning against Louisville.
Kenna Wilkey started the game for the Wildcats and turned in her longest outing of the season, pitching 5.1 innings and tallying five strikeouts while allowing two earned runs.
Wilkey got off to a quick start, cruising through the first 2.0 innings while striking out three and allowing no runs. An unearned run scored in the third inning via a throwing error, and two more came across in the fourth. Wilkey exited the circle with one out in the sixth inning for Morgan Newport, who allowed three hits in 1.2 innings of work.
At the plate, Jordyn Rudd, Nikki Cuchran, Lily Novak each recorded a single, while Skyler Shellmyer recorded her first career extra-base hit with a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Cuchran has now recorded a hit in five-consecutive games and leads the 'Cats with a .417 batting average (10-of-24) on the season, while Novak is 5-for-10 this weekend and has recorded a hit in six of Northwestern's eight games this season.
The #B1GCats wrap up the B1G/ACC Challenge tomorrow against Louisville with a chance to go 3-1 in the tournament and cap off another strong weekend performance. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. CT.
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Players Mentioned
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