Northwestern
8-9
Longwood
5-11
Wildcats Take Down Longwood in Solo Saturday Game
3/1/2025 7:10:00 PM | Softball
The 'Cats' second game of the evening, a showdown against the hosts Louisville, was canceled due to weather conditions. Northwestern will face off against Louisville tomorrow at 12:30 pm CT on ACCNX.
Riley Grudzielanek earned the win for Northwestern, entering with the bases loaded in the third inning and tossing the final 4.1 innings while allowing just five hits and one run while recording a career-high five strikeouts.
Seven different Wildcats finished the game with hits, led by Kelsey Nader who reached base twice going 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run, along with Bridget Donahey who went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.
Northwestern jumped on the Lancers immediately to start game one. After Grace Nieto reached base to lead off the game, Nader hit a two-run home run over the right field fence, her first homer of the season, to put the 'Cats in front.
The Wildcats kept the scoring going with a series of clutch two-out hits. After Kansas Robinson doubled, Emma Raye extended the lead to 3-1 with a two-out single. Avery Garden followed that up with a two-RBI single to right field to bring around Donahey and Raye. The very next at-bat, Grace Nieto kept the runs coming with a two-out, two-RBI single to left field to drive in Riley Grudzielanek and Garden.
Emma Blea made her first-career collegiate start in game one and allowed three hits and four runs in 2.2 innings pitched, while striking out two.
After Longwood cut the deficit to 7-4, Northwestern responded with three runs in the sixth inning. Cunnea came up clutch with a two-out single to drive in Avvisato to start the scoring. It marked Cunnea's fifth-straight game with a hit, and her third-straight game with weekend with an RBI.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grudzielanek, Riley (3-5)
L: GAWRYLUK, Cierra (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Robinson, Kansas 1
HR: Nader, Kelsey 1
RBI: Nieto, Grace 2 ; Nader, Kelsey 2 ; Cunnea, Isabel 1 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Garden, Avery 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Nader, Kelsey 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Robinson, Kansas 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 2 ; Cunnea, Isabel 1 ; Raye, Emma 1 ; Grudzielanek, Riley 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
SB: Nieto, Grace 1 ; Avvisato, Kaylie 1 ; Donahey, Bridget 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
HBP: Cunnea, Isabel 1 ; Garden, Avery 1
Batting:
2B: KNOCK, Sophia 1
RBI: JEFFERSON, Avery 1 ; KNOCK, Sophia 1 ; HIATT, Maggie 2 ; TERRELL, Sarah 1
SH: HIATT, Maggie 1
SF: TERRELL, Sarah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DRAKE, Avery 1 ; JEFFERSON, Avery 1 ; ZEPEDA, Mary 1 ; PISACANO, Sophia 1 ; SIMMONS, Peyton 1
CS: PISACANO, Sophia 1
HBP: KNOCK, Sophia 1
