Softball Opens 2025 With A Split At #19 McKendree

OVERVIEW – #19 McKendree

SCORES: Northwood 7, McKendree 4 / Northwood 2, McKendree 3

RECORDS: Northwood (1-1, 0-0 G-MAC), McKendree (9-4, 0-0 GLVC)

LOCATION: Bearcat Field – Lebanon, Ill.

RECAP: Northwood softball began the 2025 season at 19^th-ranked McKendree Friday (February 28). The Timberwolves rolled to a 7-4 win over the Bearcats in game one before taking a split in game two, falling 3-2.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Timberwolves struck early in the bottom of the first with a three-run shot from Abby Robinson, 3-0 NU. Robinson's first at-bat of the season resulted in her first home run of her career to give the Timberwolves the lead.
• The Bearcats cut the deficit to one in the third. Back-to-back triples to start the inning led to one before a sac fly made it a 3-2 ball game.
• McKendree would later tie it one inning later. A leadoff double led to a sac bunt throwing error to tie it at 3-3.
• A few batters after tying it, the Bearcats walked in another run to take the 4-3 lead.
• Moving to the sixth, Saylar Cuthrell singled to right to open the frame. Singles from Ashlyn Lundquist and Delanie Gale put bases loaded for Ashley Ziel to knock in one, 4-4.
• Gianna Fantin's two-RBI single through the left side scored Gale and Lundquist to give Northwood the lead for good, 6-4 NU.
• A wild pitch allowed Ziel to score from third, extending Northwood's lead to 7-4 in the sixth.
• Brittani Mutter allowed just one baserunner over her final two innings to earn the win and the Timberwolves the 7-4 victory.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 7/14/2, McKendree 4/4/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 8, McKendree 10
• Winning Pitcher – Brittani Mutter (1-0) 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K
• Losing Pitcher – S. Huck (4-2) 5.1 IP, 13 H, 7 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 7 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Robinson: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R
• Lundquist: 3-4, BB, R
• Fantin: 2-4, 2 RBI
• Gale: 2-4, 2 R
• Cuthrell: 2-4, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• McKendree opened the scoring via two doubles in the second, 1-0 MU.
• Scoring was limited, but McKendree tacked on another in the fourth with a trio of singles for the 2-0 lead.
• It took until the sixth for Northwood to get on the board. Gabby Schloop earned first the hard way, getting hit by pitch to open the frame. Lundquist followed that up with a double to left to score her from first, 2-1 NU.
• Lundquist stole third before, an RBI groundout from Delanie Gale tied it at 2-2.
• McKendree retook the lead in that next half inning, via a single through the right side, ground out to advance the runner, and another single, 3-2 MU.
• The Timberwolves added a baserunner in the seventh who advanced to third, but the rally would come up short, falling 3-2.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/6/0, McKendree 3/12/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 12, McKendree 9
• Winning Pitcher – E. Vetter () 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 5 BB, 3 K
• Losing Pitcher – Kamden Binney (0-1) 6 IP, 12 H, 3 R (3 ER), BB, K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Lundquist: 4-4, RBI, R, SB
• Steimel: 1-1, 2 BB
• Schloop: 2 BB, R

UP NEXT

• Northwood softball heads to St. Louis for a doubleheader with the Tritons of Mo.-St. Louis on Saturday (March 1). Game times are set for 1/3 p.m. ET/ 12/2 p.m. CT.