Home Sweep Home: #B1GCats Dominate Doubleheader vs. Rutgers

3/23/2019 8:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF) – Game One Box Score (PDF) – Game Two

Evanston, Ill. –Northwestern extended its winning streak to five-straight games and wrapped up its first conference series of the season with two wins over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon to complete a series sweep at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.

In game one, the Wildcats rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to back-to-back homers off the bats of Jordyn Rudd and Lily Novak to pick up a 5-3 win over the Scarlet Knights.

The #B1GCats' bats did not cool off in game two as they collected twelve hits in four innings at the plate, while Danielle Williams picked up her 15th win of the season in a 9-1 run-rule victory.

Kenna Wilkey made the start for the Wildcats in game one and allowed four hits in 4.1 innings of work while surrendering three runs.

Rutgers got on the board first in game one with two runs in the top of the third inning, however the 'Cats got one back in the bottom of the frame after Skyler Shellmyer rocketed a double off the wall in center field and later came around to score on a perfectly-placed bunt single by Morgan Nelson.

The Scarlet Knights loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning, however Kaley Winegarner entered in relief and limited the damage to just one run, which the 'Cats would match in the bottom frame after Shellmyer drove in Williams with an RBI-single through the right side. Winegarner remained in the game to pitch in the sixth inning and came up with a quick 1-2-3 inning to keep the Wildcats within one.

The 'Cats stormed back to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth after Morgan Newport was hit by a pitch and Jordyn Rudd capitalized by blasting a two-run homer off of Welsh-Ryan Arena to give Northwestern a 4-3 lead. The next at-bat, Lily Novak blasted a ball over the center field fence, her second homer of the season, to give the Wildcats a 5-3 lead. Williams took over to pitch and retired the Scarlet Knights in order to secure the victory and earn her first save of the season.

In game two, Williams continued to pitch and was electric in 5.0 innings of work, allowing one hit and one run in 5.0 innings while striking out eight on her way to her 13th complete game and 15th win of the season. She allowed a triple to lead off the game, but proceeded to retire 15 of the next 16 batters she faced to end the game. She also produced at the plate as she hit her first-career homer to lead off the bottom of the third inning.

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the first, the Wildcats wasted no time taking the lead as Nikki Cuchran drove in Rachel Lewis with an RBI-single up the middle and Novak drove in Maeve Nelson with a two-out RBI-single to give NU a 2-1 advantage. The Wildcats have now outscored their opponents 37-10 in the first inning this season and improve to 14-0 in games when they score in the first inning.

The 'Cats stayed red hot in the bottom of the second inning, plating four runs to extend their lead to 6-1. Morgan Nelson drove in Lewis and Shellmyer with a triple to right field, her team-leading third triple of the season. Soon after, Cuchran drove in Nelson with an RBI-single up the middle for her second RBI of the game and sixth on the weekend.

One day after joining the illustrious Sharon J. Drsydale Roof Club, Rachel Lewis continued to punish the New Welsh-Ryan Arena as she rocketed a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning for her third homer in four games, extending her season total to a team-leading seven long balls. Lewis finished the weekend hitting .500 (5-for-10) with two homers, two RBI, four runs scored and a 1.100 slugging percentage.

The 'Cats added one more run in the bottom of the fourth as Sammy Stanley pinch ran for Newport and was driven in by Shellmyer to extend the Wildcats lead to eight runs. Williams slammed the door in the top of the fifth inning, capped off by a web-gem from Emma Bartz in right field to end the game.

On the weekend, the #B1GCats combined to hit .417 (30-for-72) at the plate while holding Rutgers to a .130 (7-for-54) average. Each of the Wildcats' nine regular batters in the lineup recorded at least one extra-base hit over the weekend, as they belted seven homers, four doubles and a triple.

Northwestern improves to 9-0 all-time against Rutgers and is now a perfect 3-0 in conference play this season. Chicago's Big Ten Team will be back in action in Evanston this Wednesday as they play host to DePaul for a cross-town showdown. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT, tickets can be bought HERE.

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