LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Northern Illinois University softball team posted its first victory of the season as it defeated Saint Louis, 12-6, at the Cardinal Classic at Ulmer Stadium Saturday afternoon.
NIU (1-6) turned in its highest offensive output of the season scoring 12 runs on 15 hits. Six Huskies finished with multi-hit games and three posted multi-RBI performances. Andrea Colosimo led the offensive explosion, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Zoe Sinner was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Senior Allie Parker was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The offense did a good job of carrying the day and executing the things we've been asking them to execute," NIU coach Lindsay Chouinard said. "Andi (Colosimo) is calm cool and consistent and she's exactly where we need her to be. I'm glad to see things fall in line for her."
The Huskies jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Saint Louis (4-5) with two runs in the first and a run in the second. The Billikins cut the deficit to one when they scored two runs in the bottom of the second, but that would be as close as they would get. NIU responded with three runs in the third and a run in the fourth to take a 7-2 lead.
After the Huskies added two more runs in the top of the sixth to go up 9-2, the Billikins rallied with four runs in the bottom of the frame to pull within three. However, with two runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate, Morgan Bittner struck out Liz Jones to end the Billikin threat. Northern Illinois added three more runs in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Bittner earned her first win of the season, despite allowing six runs, five earned, on 11 hits and three base on balls.
"That's the funny thing about our sport," Chouinard said. "This has probably been Morgan's most unsuccessful outing of the year, and yet it's her first win of the year. Go figure. She rolled a couple balls in the infield and had a couple big innings that we'd like to avoid from here on out, but for the most part she did a good job."
