Northwestern University Athletics

Sunday, February 17
Chapel Hill, N.C.
9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET

Northwestern

7-2

4
vs
2

Louisville

4-5

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Louisville
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
7
1
Northwestern
0
2
1
0
1
0
X
4
6
1
williams scoring

#B1GCats Complete Sweep vs. Louisville to Close Out ACC/B1G Challenge

2/17/2019 12:16:00 PM | Softball

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Northwestern finished its weekend at the ACC/B1G Challenge on a high note, earned its third victory over the Louisville Cardinals this season with a 4-2 win on Sunday morning.
 
First-year Danielle Williams improved to 6-0 on the season as she struck out seven and tossed her fourth complete game in as many starts. The Pleasanton, Caif. native and reigning Big Ten Pitcher/Freshman of the Week also went 1-for-2 at the plate with a double, a walk and two RBI.
 
Northwestern finished the tournament 3-1 on the weekend, clinching at least a share of the best record among the four participating teams. Now 7-2 on the season, the Wildcats are off to their best start since 2008.
 
Louisville struck first, scoring an unearned run in the top of the first inning. But Williams recovered quickly in the circle and soon helped her own cause in the bottom of the second inning as she roped a two-RBI double down the left field line to drive home Emma Bartz and Lily Novak and give the #B1GCats a 2-1 lead.
 
After a play at the plate got the 'Cats out unscathed in the top of the third inning, they added to their lead in the bottom half of the frame. After Morgan Newport hit a double and was replaced by Skyler Shellmyer to pinch run, Nikki Cuchran drove in Shellmyer with an RBI-double, marking her fifth hit and fourth RBI of the weekend
 
The Wildcats extended their lead in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI-single from Lily Novak to bring home Maeve Nelson. Novak has now recorded a hit in five-consecutive games and led the team with seven hits this weekend, batting .538 (7-for-13) with a double, two walks and three RBI.
 
Williams allowed one run to score in the sixth but stayed in to close the game out and cap off another strong weekend, in which she went 3-0 with 19 strikeouts and a 1.24 ERA (3 ER/17.0 IP) while also hitting .333 (3-for-9) at the plate.
 
Newport and Novak each turned in multi hit games for the 'Cats, while Morgan Nelson also reached base twice via two walks.
 
Northwestern will be back on Friday, February 22 when it travels to Cathedral City, Calif. for five games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
 

••••••

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Feb 22 (Fri)

1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Williams, Danielle (6-0)

L: Roby (2-1)

Batting:

2B: Hensley 1 ; Chung 1

RBI: Chung 2

SF: Chung 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Melton 1 ; Ferguson 1

HBP: Melton 1 ; Hensley 1

Northwestern LogoNorthwestern

Batting:

2B: Newport, Morgan 1 ; Cuchran, Nikki 1 ; Williams, Danielle 1

RBI: Cuchran, Nikki 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Williams, Danielle 2

SH: Lewis, Rachel 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1 ; Novak, Lily 1 ; Shellmyer, Skyler 1

SB: Nelson, Morgan 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1

HBP: Cuchran, Nikki 1

Game Leaders

AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1

Players Mentioned

OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF/C
/ Softball
P/U
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
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