TAMPA, Fla. – A four spot in the first and a three-run second help propel the Northern Illinois University softball team to a 7-5 victory over Florida Gulf Coast in the USF The Game Tournament on Saturday.
NIU (6-13) scored all four of its runs in the first after two were out. A one out error allowed Krista Matsui to reach. A two-out single by Jennifer Barnett kept the inning alive for Carly Norton who delivered with a bases clearing double to give the Huskies the 2-0 lead. With two on and two out, Dani Parrish tripled, driving in Norton and Michelle Williams capping off the four-run outburst.
After the Eagles (11-19) responded with a run in the top of the second, NIU took advantage of another Florida Gulf Coast error in the bottom of the inning. After a lead-off single by senior Kate Welsh, Andrea Colosimo reached on an error, setting the table for the Huskies’ home run leader Zoe Sinner Sinner blasted her fourth home run over the center field fence to give NIU a 7-1 lead.
“It was a wonderful team win,” NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard. “We capitalized early in the game. Early on, with runners in scoring position, we did a good job putting the ball on the ground and making things happen. That’s wonderful to see. It’s always nice for our pitchers to pitch with a lead.”
Florida Gulf Coast would add a run in the third and three more in the fifth, but Whitney Owens, who in to pitch in relief for sophomore Morgan Bittner and the Huskie defense held the Eagles scoreless the final two innings for the victory. Bittner earned the win, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out seven in five innings, while Owens picked up the save.
NIU fell to Florida State, 7-1, in its second game of the day.
After scoring seven runs on nine hits to defeat Florida Gulf Coast, 7-5, in its first game of the day, the NIU (6-14) offense scored one run on seven hits against the Seminoles (26-5). Florida State took the lead early, scoring two runs in the top of the first and a run in both the second and third innings. A three-run fifth would cap the scoring for FSU.
NIU had seven hits on the day, but had only one run to show for it. The Huskies scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth after Carly Norton drove in Zoe Sinner who was on second base after doubling to right field, on an error by the shortstop.
