Polega Sets Career High In Strikeouts As Softball Splits Day Three In Florida

OVERVIEW – Queens (N.Y.)/ Indiana (Pa.)

SCORES: Northwood 8, Queens 2 / Northwood 2, Indiana (Pa.) 5

RECORDS: Northwood (6-4, 0-0 G-MAC), Queens (0-1)/ Indiana (Pa.) (5-1)

LOCATION: Legends Way Softball Complex – Clermont, Fla.

RECAP: Northwood softball continued their trip to Florida on Saturday (March 8). The Timberwolves took game one versus Queens 8-2 in convincing fashion behind Brynn Polega's career performance. In game two, the Crimson Hawks went up early and didn't let Northwood come back, winning 5-2.

QUEENS

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood's offense was patient to start the game. Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs. Gianna Fantin's walk brought in what was Northwood's only run of the threat, 1-0 NU.
• Brynn Polega struck out seven Knights' going into the bottom of the third. The Timberwolves then added another behind back-to-back singles from Ashley Ziel and Fantin to lead off the inning. Gage Lambert's single to third drove in Ziel, 2-0 NU.
• A defensive miscue from Northwood allowed the leadoff double from Queens to score in the top of the fourth, 2-1 NU.
• Gabby Schloop's walk to open the fourth for the Timberwolves proved to get a rally going. She came around to score off an RBI fielder's choice to shortstop from Delanie Gale, 3-1 NU.
• Ziel's double off the right-center wall drove in Gale in the next at-bat, 4-1 NU.
• Northwood broke it open in the fifth, tacking in three more. Chloe Cooper's leadoff double got the rally started. She would score via a defensive miscue by the Queens second baseman, 5-1.
• The extra life let Gale drive in Lundquist and Gage Lambert on a two-run double in the subsequent at-bat, 7-1 NU.
• In the sixth, Fantin's single through the left side brought in Northwood's final run, scoring Abby Robinson, 8-1 NU.
• The Knights scored one in the seventh, but the threat was limited as Brynn Polega set a career-high strikeouts at 10 in the win.

 GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 8/8/2, Queens 2/5/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 9, Queens 10
• Winning Pitcher – Brynn Polega (4-0) 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 10 K
• Losing Pitcher – C. Campbell (0-1) 6 IP, 8 H, 8 R (5 ER), 7 BB, 6 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Gale: 2B, 3 RBI, R 
• Ziel: 2-3, 2B RBI, R, BB
• Robinson: 2-4, 3B, R
• Fantin: 2 RBI
• Cooper: 1-2, 2B
• Lambert; RBI, BB, R

INDIANA (PA.)

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• The Crimson Hawks took the lead early, a booted ball allowed IUP to take the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
• Three straight walks for the Timberwolves gave Lundquist the chance to tie it at 1-1 in the top of the second.
• IUP tagged on four in the bottom of the second. A bases-clearing double proved to be the difference maker in the ballgame. 5-1 IUP.
• Lundquist added her second RBI in the fifth. A sac fly to deep center brought in Gabby Schloop from third, 5-2 IUP.
• Northwood wouldn't get any closer than three. The Timberwolves later fell 5-2.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/4/2, Indiana (Pa.) 5/6/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 5, Indiana (Pa.) 7
• Winning Pitcher – Olivia Hillegras (2-1) 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 3 K
• Losing Pitcher – Delaney Belding (0-1) 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 2 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Lundquist: 2 RBI
• Schloop: 3B

UP NEXT

• Northwood softball continues their Florida trip today (March 10) with a doubleheader at Legends Way Softball Complex. The Timberwolves have scheduled night matchups with Minn.-Duluth at 7:30 p.m. and Bemidji St. at 8:45 p.m.