2017 Softball Roster
Kenzie Ellis
- Height:
- 6-0
- Class:
- Sophomore
- High School:
- Indianola
- Hometown:
- Indianola, Iowa
2018: Appeared in five games with three starts in the circle and one as the designated player ... Also had one relief appearance ... Left the team to take a personal leave of absence from the University in early March ... Threw a complete-game victory in a run-rule of Boise State (2/10), also driving in a run at the plate ... Threw three scoreless innings as the starter in an eventual extra-inning combined shutout against San Diego State (2/23) ... Threw 1.1 innings of relief in a game against Portland State, recording three of the four outs via strikeout.
2017: Started 50 games, 13 in the circle and 36 as the designated player ... Entered the circle in relief 12 times ... Also pinch hit once ... Went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs against No. 21 Baylor (2/10) ... Was 3-for-4 with an RBI versus Fordham (2/11) ... Doubled home a run and walked at No. 3 Florida State (2/17) ... Ripped a two-run single and walked against No. 24 Pittsburgh (2/19) ... Hit safely in all four games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (2/24-2/26), including launching her first-collegiate home run against No. 8 Washington (2/25) ... Struck out a career-best 10 and threw a complete-game one-hitter to defeat Houston, adding an RBI single at the plate (2/26) ... Pitched five innings in a start against No. 23 California to earn a win in the circle (3/3) ... Finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs including a game-tying two-run double in an eventual victory over South Carolina (3/3) ... Doubled against No. 3 Florida (3/4) ... Batted .400 at the plate and compiled a 0.44 ERA with a win and a save in the circle at the six-game Santa Clara Round Robin (3/17-3/19) ... Pitched a career-high eight innings, surrendering just two hits in an eventual 2-1, nine-inning ITB loss to Long Beach State (3/17) ... Crushed a three-run double and tossed a scoreless seventh inning for a save against Grand Canyon (3/18) ... Finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs, a double and two walks in a win against Long Beach State (3/19) ... Drove in a pair with a double and pitched a complete-game victory at Santa Clara (3/19) ... Fanned five in 3.0 innings of relief to earn a save against UIC (3/29) ... Threw 5.1 innings of one-run relief in the first game of a doubleheader at Nebraska (4/29) while pitching 7.1 in the circle in an extra-inning loss in the nightcap for 13 combined frames on the day ... Was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs in Game Two ... Smacked a two-run double in the first game of a doubleheader sweep against Illinois (5/3) ... Went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at Iowa (5/5) ... Launched a two-run dinger to cap a six-run first inning rally in NU’s opening round win over Purdue at the Big Ten Tournament (5/11).
2016: Appeared in 23 games, starting in the circle 11 times, entering in relief 11 times and earning one pinch-hit appearance ... Tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief against No. 6 Oregon, entering in a bases-loaded situation and escaping with a strikeout to strand all three runners (2/14) ... Picked up her first-career win with 2.2 innings of two-hit relief at North Carolina (2/20) ... Scattered three hits across four innings in a start against Quinnipiac in which she earned a combined shutout with Kaley Winegarner (3/18) ... Gutted through 5.2 innings of relief in the circle to pick up a win while driving in a run and scoring at the plate in a 13-12 victory at No. 2 Michigan (3/25) ... Figured in all three decisions in a sweep of Iowa (4/9-4/10), earning a save in game one and wins in games two and three ... In the first game, threw 1.1 innings of relief after entering in the sixth inning (4/9) ... In game two, took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before eventually bowing out of the victory in the seventh frame (4/9) ... Tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief in the third game for the win (4/10) ... Threw the final inning of a combined one-hitter with Kristen Wood, earning a save with a couple of strikeouts against Michigan State (4/22) ... Tossed 2.0 innings of hitless relief in the middle of a three-way combined no-hitter at Purdue (5/7), becoming part of the 50th no-hitter in Northwestern history and the first-ever with three or more hurlers alongside Kristen Wood and Amy Letourneau ... Got the win with 4.2 innings the next day, surrendering only an unearned run in a 3-1 victory over Purdue (5/8) ... Threw a scoreless inning of relief in an NCAA Tournament game against No. 15 Georgia (5/21).
High School: Three-year all-conference, all-district and two-year unanimous all-state first-team selection ... Started on her school system's varsity team as an eighth-grader, playing through her sophomore season before deciding to focus on club ball as a junior and senior ... Before leaving, led her high school to a state championship as a freshman and a third-place finish as a sophomore ... Compiled a 0.99 ERA as a sophomore while driving in 49 with a .388 batting average at the plate ... Plays club with the DeMarini Aces, qualifying for the Premier Nationals ... Captain of the Indianola Debate and Mock Trial teams ... National Honor Society member ... Gold honor roll.
Personal: Born Kenzie J Ellis ... Daughter of Ryan and Traci Ellis ... Chose Northwestern over Harvard, LSU and Missouri ... Major is political science.
