Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, March 13
Highland Heights, KY
10:30 am CT
Northwestern
vs
Detroit Mercy
Northwestern Travels to Northern Kentucky for Four-Game Set
3/12/2026 5:28:00 PM | Softball
Highland Heights, Ky. – Northwestern Softball is back in action this weekend with four games, taking on Detroit Mercy twice along with matchups against Northern Kentucky and Northern Iowa.
The Wildcats kick off the weekend on Friday at 10:30 am CT against Detroit Mercy, followed by a matchup with Northern Kentucky at 1 pm CT. Northwestern plays another doubleheader on Saturday, matching up with Detroit Mercy for a second time at 9 am CT, and closing out the weekend against Northern Iowa at 11:30 am CT. The Friday afternoon game against Northern Kentucky will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Most recently, Northwestern dropped a three-game weekend series at No. 22 Washington as the Wildcats fell to 8-14 on the year. The Wildcats have now had 11 of their 14 losses come against ranked opponents to start the season. Over the first five weekends of the season, the 'Cats have played 11 different opponents that qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament.
Kansas Robinson led the Wildcats at the plate over the weekend, going 3-for-8 with a .750 slugging percentage and two runs scored. The senior now leads the team with four home runs on the season, and her 16 RBI ranks second on the team. Over the last two weekends of action, Robinson is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with three homers, seven RBI, and five runs scored to go along with a team-best .857 slugging percentage.
Bridget Donahey provided two RBI in game one of the series, driving in two runs with a two-out triple in the fourth inning. Also providing a pair of extra-base hits throughout the weekend was Avery Garden, who recorded a triple on Saturday followed by a double on Sunday.
First-year pitcher Marina Mason tossed a gem in the circle on Saturday, allowing just three hits and no earned runs while striking out six in 6.0 innings of work. The outing marked her fifth start of the season in which she pitched 5.0+ innings while allowing one earned run or fewer. Mason leads the Wildcats in ERA (2.83) and has racked up 56 strikeouts this season, good for first on the team and second among Big Ten first-years, trailing only Alexis Jensen of Nebraska.
Northwestern holds a 1-0 record all-time against Detroit Mercy, with the teams' only meeting being a 15-1 Northwestern win in 2019 to open the Evanston Regional. Northwestern is 1-2 all-time against Northern Iowa, but the teams have not faced off since 2002, when the Wildcats beat the Panthers 3-0. The Wildcats are 3-0 all-time against Northern Kentucky, and most recently defeated the Norse 5-0 during the 2023 season. The Norse head coach, Morgan Gerak, was a five year standout on the Wildcats from 2017-21, before joining the staff as a graduate assistant during Northwestern's historic 2022 season that ended with a trip to the Women's College World Series.
Following this weekend's games, Northwestern resumes conference play with a three-game set downstate at Illinois from March 20-22.
The Wildcats kick off the weekend on Friday at 10:30 am CT against Detroit Mercy, followed by a matchup with Northern Kentucky at 1 pm CT. Northwestern plays another doubleheader on Saturday, matching up with Detroit Mercy for a second time at 9 am CT, and closing out the weekend against Northern Iowa at 11:30 am CT. The Friday afternoon game against Northern Kentucky will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Most recently, Northwestern dropped a three-game weekend series at No. 22 Washington as the Wildcats fell to 8-14 on the year. The Wildcats have now had 11 of their 14 losses come against ranked opponents to start the season. Over the first five weekends of the season, the 'Cats have played 11 different opponents that qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament.
Kansas Robinson led the Wildcats at the plate over the weekend, going 3-for-8 with a .750 slugging percentage and two runs scored. The senior now leads the team with four home runs on the season, and her 16 RBI ranks second on the team. Over the last two weekends of action, Robinson is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with three homers, seven RBI, and five runs scored to go along with a team-best .857 slugging percentage.
Bridget Donahey provided two RBI in game one of the series, driving in two runs with a two-out triple in the fourth inning. Also providing a pair of extra-base hits throughout the weekend was Avery Garden, who recorded a triple on Saturday followed by a double on Sunday.
First-year pitcher Marina Mason tossed a gem in the circle on Saturday, allowing just three hits and no earned runs while striking out six in 6.0 innings of work. The outing marked her fifth start of the season in which she pitched 5.0+ innings while allowing one earned run or fewer. Mason leads the Wildcats in ERA (2.83) and has racked up 56 strikeouts this season, good for first on the team and second among Big Ten first-years, trailing only Alexis Jensen of Nebraska.
Northwestern holds a 1-0 record all-time against Detroit Mercy, with the teams' only meeting being a 15-1 Northwestern win in 2019 to open the Evanston Regional. Northwestern is 1-2 all-time against Northern Iowa, but the teams have not faced off since 2002, when the Wildcats beat the Panthers 3-0. The Wildcats are 3-0 all-time against Northern Kentucky, and most recently defeated the Norse 5-0 during the 2023 season. The Norse head coach, Morgan Gerak, was a five year standout on the Wildcats from 2017-21, before joining the staff as a graduate assistant during Northwestern's historic 2022 season that ended with a trip to the Women's College World Series.
Following this weekend's games, Northwestern resumes conference play with a three-game set downstate at Illinois from March 20-22.
Players Mentioned
IF
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UTL
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IF
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