SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Northern Illinois University softball team dropped a pair of one-run games in its doubleheader to UT-Arlington in the CenturyLink Classic hosted by Texas State Saturday at Bobcat Field in San Marcos, Texas. The Huskies lost Game 1, 5-4, and were edged out 2-1 in Game 2.
The Huskie (0-4) offense turned in a solid performance at the plate in the first game, scoring four runs on seven hits and three base on balls. However, the NIU defense struggled, committing four errors, including two in the final inning that allowed the Mavericks to score the game winning runs.
With the Huskies leading 4-3 and a runner at third with two outs in the top of the seventh, UTA pushed across the tying run on an error by third baseman Amanda Sheppard and took the lead on the play on an error by pitcher Morgan Bittner. NIU was unable to tie the game in its final at bat, suffering the loss.
"Obviously, our defense let us down today," NIU coach Lindsay Chouinard said. "When you can't take care of the ball, it makes it hard to win games."
Bittner took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned on six hits and a walk. Andrea Colosimo had a great day offensively for the Huskies, going 2-for-3, including a home run, with three runs batted in a run scored. Krista Matsui also had a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and run scored.
A two-run third by the Mavericks proved to be the difference in the final game of the day for Northern Illinois. Whitney Owens pitched well in her first start as a Huskie, allowing two earned runs on eight hits in six innings of work. The NIU offense struggled scoring one run on three hits. Freshman Monica Segura went 2-for-3 from the plate with an RBI in the sixth inning scoring Colosimo.
