Wildcats Blank No. 19 Indiana for Ranked Win in Bloomington

3/16/2019 5:04:00 PM | Softball

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Northwestern earned its first ranked win of the season in a road matchup at No. 19 Indiana on Saturday, coming away with a 5-0 shutout.

The #B1GCats tossed their eighth shutout of the season and improved to 19-6. The win did not count towards either school's conference record, but the 'Cats handed Indiana just their sixth loss of the season.

First year pitcher Danielle Williams outdueled Indiana's ace Tara Trainer on the afternoon, notching her fifth shutout of the year and amassing 10 strikeouts while allowing just two hits and zero walks. Williams now possesses a 13-3 record.

Northwestern got it done with the long ball on Saturday, totaling four hits with each one clearing the fence. It was the most home runs the Wildcats have hit in a game all season, and the most since an 8-7 win at Rutgers last season on Apr. 22.

The Wildcats are also 10-0 this season when they have hit at least one home run.

Morgan Newport improved her RBI total to four on the day with a two-run shot. The other three home runs came from sophomore Rachel Lewis, senior Morgan Nelson, and first year Maeve Nelson.

Lewis started the proceedings off with a bang in the very first at-bat of the game, taking Trainer deep to left center field to make it 1-0. Northwestern has now outscored opponents 33-9 in the first frame and owns a 12-0 record when it scores in the opening inning.

Williams and Trainer traded punches until the fifth, when the 'Cats pounced on another pitch in the zone. Maeve Nelson led off the inning with deep fly ball that bounced off the left field foul pole to make it 2-0.

Morgan Nelson crushed a ball over the right field fence in the sixth inning to make it 3-0, and knocked Trainer out of the game. In the seventh, Maeve Nelson walked and Morgan Newport hit the only multi-run homer of the day for the Wildcats to add an exclamation point on their victory.

Northwestern also improved its stellar seventh inning margin this season to 23-2.

The #B1GCats are back in action next weekend when they opens up conference play with their home-opening series against Rutgers! The 'Cats play three against the Scarlet Knights starting on Friday at 4 p.m. Fans can now purchase tickets here and season passes here for Sharon J. Drysdale field!

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