Gage Sends Northwood Home With Sweep And Game Two Shutout Of Walsh

OVERVIEW – Walsh

SCORES: Northwood 3, Walsh 1 / Northwood 4, Walsh 0 (8 inn.)

RECORDS: Northwood 15-17 (8-6 G-MAC), Walsh 12-16 (5-7 G-MAC)

LOCATION: WU Softball Complex – North Canton, Ohio

RECAP: Northwood softball finished their Northeast Ohio road trip, earning a G-MAC road sweep at Walsh on Friday (April 11), taking game one 3-1 behind a three-run third inning before breaking a scoreless tie with a four-run eighth inning to win game two, 4-0. The Timberwolves finish the weekend 4-0, sweeping Malone (April 11) and Walsh.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• After two scoreless innings, Northwood struck in the third inning with all three of their runs of the game. Meridith Frey led off the scoring frame with a single and later crossed home on an RBI knock from Ashley Ziel to give Northwood a 1-0 lead.
• The Timberwolves extended the inning with two outs as Jenna Kowalski and Ashley Ziel scored on Ashlyn Lundquist's two-RBI single to left field, pushing the lead to 3-0.
• Walsh responded in the fourth inning with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 3-1.
• Kamden Binney controlled the rest of the way, working her 11th complete game of the season to secure the win in the circle.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 3/6/1, Walsh 1/6/2
• Runners left on base: Northwood 4, Walsh 6
• Winning Pitcher – Kamden Binney (10-6) – 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 2 K
• Losing Pitcher – Maci Smythe (7-5) – 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Ashley Ziel: 2-3, R, RBI
• Ashlyn Lundquist: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2B
• Meridith Frey: 1-3, R
• Jenna Kowalski: 1-3, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Through seven innings, both teams were locked in a 0-0 pitchers' duel before Northwood broke through in the eighth. Meridith Frey started the rally with a walk and later scored the opening run of the inning on Delanie Gale's RBI single to shortstop.
• Ashley Ziel delivered the biggest blow of the game, knocking a two-run double to center field to bring home Gale and Brinley Eckerman.
• Ashlyn Lundquist capped the inning with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Ziel to extend the lead to 4-0.
• Dalaney Gage was dominant in the circle, tossing eight shutout innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts and no walks to complete the sweep.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 4/7/3, Walsh 0/6/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 5, Walsh 7
• Winning Pitcher – Dalaney Gage (5-6) – 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K
• Losing Pitcher – Lindsay Leeds (1-3) – 7.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 1 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Ashley Ziel: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Delanie Gale: 2-4, RBI, SB, R
• Ashlyn Lundquist: 1-4, RBI
• Brinley Eckerman: 1-4, R
• Meridith Frey: R, BB

NORTHWOOD NOTES AND CAREER MARKS TRACKER

• Several Timberwolves continue to climb the Northwood softball record books during the 2026 season. With her RBI single to break the 0-0 tie in the eighth of game two, Delanie Gale became the fifth player in Northwood history to join the 200 hit club. She joins teammate Ashley Ziel as two active Timberwolves with at least 200 career hits.

UP NEXT

• Northwood softball returns home for a non-conference doubleheader against Grand Valley St. on Wednesday (April 15) at Fisher Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m., followed by game two.