Softball Falls In G-MAC Consos Heartbreaker To Tiffin, 10-9, In Extras

OVERVIEW – (1) Tiffin Dragons

SCORE: Northwood 9, Tiffin 10

RECORDS: Northwood (28-20, 16-8 G-MAC), Tiffin (42-12, 21-3 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Firestone Stadium - Akron, Ohio

RECAP: Northwood Softball finished their run in the G-MAC Tournament Friday (May 2). The Timberwolves fell to the No. 1 seed Tiffin Dragons 10-9 in a back-and-forth, extra-inning heartbreaker.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS 

• Teams were scoreless going into the third. Northwood's third-inning rally started with the first three batters getting safely aboard with two hit-by-pitches and a bunt single. Delanie Gale tagged a two-run double to left to score the game's first runs. Saylar Cuthrell and Chloe Cooper scored on the play, 2-0 NU.
• Ziel followed the rally with a line single to left to extend Northwood's lead to 3-0.
• Tiffin would turn to the bullpen following the Ziel single. The pen gave up a single to Gage Lambert, driving in Gale, 4-0 NU.
• Northwood's 4-0 lead didn't last long. An inning and a half later, the Dragons went on a massive two-out rally. With two outs in the fourth, Tiffin had two straight singles and a walk to load the bases. Tiffin's first runs came on a two-run single to right, 4-2 NU.
• The next at bat gave the Dragons the lead. A three-run shot to left by the Great Midwest Player of the Year gave Tiffin the 5-4 lead.
• A dropped pop-up in short center field gave Tiffin even more life. As the Dragons went on to score four more with two outs as a double, wild pitch, and two-run homer gave the Dragons a 9-5 lead after four.
• Down to the final six outs, Northwood did not leave without battling back. Gage Lambert and Gianna Fantin led off the sixth with singles, a fielder's choice later, and Northwood was rallying with the bases loaded. This brought up a pinch-hitting Delaney Belding. She came through with a two-run single up the middle, 9-6 TU.
• Saylar Cuthrell continued the comeback, lining a double to the left center gap, scoring pinch runner Lakyn Karr, 9-7 TU.
• Northwood eventually tied it at 9-9 after two straight fielders' choices from Ashlyn Lundquist and Gale.
• Teams traded threats, but the game went to extras tied at 9-9.
• In the eighth, a misplayed ball gave Tiffin life with two outs again. A double in the left center gap would walk it off as Tiffin won the back-and-forth heartbreaker.

GAME STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 9/9/2, Tiffin 10/16/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 4, Tiffin 9
• Winning Pitcher – Ella Esterby (16-7) 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K 
• Losing Pitcher – Kamden Binney (6-5) 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 ER), BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Gale: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R
• Lambert: 2-4, RBI, R
• Belding: 1-1, 2 RBI
• Cooper: 2 R
• Cuthrell: 2-4, RBI, 2 R
• Ziel: RBI, R
• Fantin: 1-4, R

UP NEXT 

• Northwood (28-20, 16-8 G-MAC) awaits their fate for the NCAA Tournament. The next set of NCAA Regional Rankings will be the NCAA selection show set for Monday, May 5, at 10 a.m. ET on NCAA.com.