Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
29-15, 29-15
Nebraska
22-22, 22-22
Wildcats Earn Series Win with 6-5 Victory on Senior Day
5/16/2021 5:13:00 PM | Softball
Newport did it all in her final game in Evanston, tossing a complete game in the circle and crushing a two-run homer as part of a 3-for-3 effort. The DeKalb, Ill. posted career-highs in batting average (.324) and home runs (10) in her final season, tallying a career average of .287 (139-for-484), 17 home runs and 93 RBI in 202 games played.
Senior Day Magic ??????@MorganNewport18 ?? OVER the videoboard!#GoCats | #FightForVictory pic.twitter.com/ydXovB16cY
— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 16, 2021
Newport was joined by fellow Senior Day honorees Mac Dunlap and Emma Bartz in the starting lineup, with Bartz playing stellar defense in right field and Dunlap picking up a walk and RBI.
The Wildcats fell behind 1-0 early in the first inning, but Newport stranded two baserunners to prevent further damage. The 'Cats quickly tied the game when Sydney Supple drove in Newport with a single to left in the second inning.
With a runner on in the bottom of the third, Newport destroyed a home run over the scoreboard in center field for her final long-ball at Sharon J. Drysdale Field, giving the 'Cats a 3-1 lead.
Nebraska tied the game once again in the of the fourth, but Northwestern took the lead right back in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a RBI-single from Jordyn Rudd.
Supple was inches from a three-run homer in the fifth inning, instead settling for a run-scoring double off the top of the left field fence. Mac Dunlap drove in Nikki Cuchran later in the inning to extend Northwestern's lead to 6-3.
Newport battled through two solo-home runs late in the game to secure a 6-5 win and her third seven-inning pitching performance of the season.
The Wildcats will discover their postseason fate tonight when the NCAA Tournament Selection Show airs at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The 'Cats seek their sixth birth in the last seven tournaments, with their last appearance ending in a trip to the Super Regionals in 2019.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Newport, Morgan (6-3)
L: Courtney Wallace (11-9)
Batting:
2B: Cam Ybarra 1 ; Brooke Andrews 1
HR: Tristen Edwards 1 ; Rylie Unzicker 1
RBI: Billie Andrews 2 ; Tristen Edwards 1 ; Olivia Ferrell 1 ; Rylie Unzicker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Billie Andrews 1 ; Tristen Edwards 1 ; Brooke Andrews 1 ; Rylie Unzicker 2
SB: Rylie Unzicker 1
Batting:
2B: Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Zedak, Angela 1 ; Supple, Sydney 1
HR: Newport, Morgan 1
RBI: Rudd, Jordyn 1 ; Newport, Morgan 2 ; Supple, Sydney 2 ; Dunlap, Mac 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Newport, Morgan 2 ; Zedak, Angela 1 ; Cuchran, Nikki 1
SB: Shellmyer, Skyler 1 ; Lewis, Rachel 1 ; Supple, Sydney 1 ; Bartz, Emma 1
CS: Stanley, Sammy 1
HBP: Lewis, Rachel 1
