Saturday, March 2
Palo Alto, Calif.
4:30 p.m. CT/2:30 p.m. PT

Northwestern

13-4

7
vs
0

North Dakota State

9-7

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Northwestern
5
0
0
0
1
0
1
7
10
1
North Dakota State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
Rachel Lewis

Wildcats Lock Up Bison in 7-0 Shutout

3/2/2019 7:28:00 PM | Softball

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Northwestern blanked North Dakota State, 7-0, on Saturday at the Stanford Invitational in a start-to-finish dominant win. 
 
Sophomore Kenna Wilkey turned in an excellent outing in the circle, throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out ten, while allowing just two hits. It was her second complete game shutout of the season, and she lowered her season ERA to 1.52 Wilkey also added a hit and an RBI from behind the plate as well.
 
The Wildcats improved their record to 13-4 and 2-1 in Palo Alto this weekend. They played just one game today after their first game against Cal Poly was rained out.
 
First-year Jordyn Rudd flexed her excellent production at the plate once more, leading the 'Cats with two hits and three RBI including a double. Rudd has batted in 20 runs this season, which leads the team.
 
Sophomore Rachel Lewis also collected two RBI on a two-run home run in the first inning. The long ball was Lewis' third of the season, which is now tied for the team lead.
 
Junior Morgan Newport continued her steady approach at the plate and picked up a hit for an RBI to boost her season total to seven. Her team-high batting average now sits at .353.
 
First year Lauren Caldrone also picked up her first collegiate hit in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter after she smoked a single through the right side.
 
First year Nikki Cuchran reached base in all three of her plate appearances with two hits, a walk and a run. Maeve Nelson and Skyler Shellmyer each tallied the other hits of the day for the NU offense, while Shellmyer added a stolen base.
 
Northwestern did the majority of the damage early, improving their record to 9-0 when they score in the first inning. The rally in the first started with two outs after a single from Maeve Nelson up the middle. Cuchran singled and advanced Nelson to third. 
 
Newport stepped up and laced a single through the left side to start the scoring at 1-0. Rudd followed that up by cracking the first pitch she saw to the center field wall to score Newport and Cuchran from second with a double.
 
With the lead at three, Lewis jumped on a 2-1 pitch and cleared the left field fence with a no-doubter home run to make it 5-0. 
 
The 'Cats rode a steady Wilkey in the circle the rest of the way and tacked on one in the fifth. Cuchran singled and Emma Bartz took over for her on the basepaths and advanced to second on a groundout from Newport. Rudd lifted a single into right field in the next at bat and Bartz raced around from second to make it 6-0. 
 
Wilkey gave herself one more run of support in the seventh when she scored Rudd, who was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, to make it 7-0.
 
The #B1GCats close out the Stanford Invitational tomorrow with one game against Montana. First pitch is set for 11 a.m CT.
 
 

••••••

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Next Event

Montana
W, 4-0

Mar 3 (Sun)

11 a.m. CT/9 a.m. PT

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Wilkey, Kenna (4-1)

L: Leddy (6-5)

Northwestern LogoNorthwestern

Batting:

2B: Rudd, Jordyn 1

HR: Lewis, Rachel 1

RBI: Newport, Morgan 1 ; Rudd, Jordyn 3 ; Lewis, Rachel 2 ; Wilkey, Kenna 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Nelson, Maeve 1 ; Cuchran, Nikki 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1 ; Newport, Morgan 1 ; Rudd, Jordyn 2 ; Lewis, Rachel 1

SB: Shellmyer, Skyler 2

HBP: Rudd, Jordyn 1

North Dakota State LogoNorth Dakota State

Batting:

2B: Stavrou 1

Game Leaders

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

Players Mentioned

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