Northwestern Softball Sweeps Wisconsin

The Northwestern Wildcats returned home for the first time in almost two years and what a homecoming it was! The Wildcats swept a four game series with the University of Wisconsin.

On Friday, the Cardiac Cats capped off a dramatic comeback victory with a walkoff from Sydney Supple. Wisconsin scored in each of the first three innings and added two more in the fifth, before Supple took the mound and began the fun. Supple pitched three scoreless innings of relief and notched the win.

The Wildcats got on the board in the sixth. Morgan Newport singled and Emma Bartz ran for her. Nikki Cuchran singled and Angela Zedak grounded out to advance the runners. Singles by Hannah Cady, Skyler Shellmyer and Rachel Lewis scored one run each to cut the deficit to 5-3.

Jordyn Rudd started the seventh with a hit, followed by Newport reaching on an error and Zedak walking. Lauren Boyd drove in one run, before Supple stepped up and smashed the first pitch off the right center field wall to bring in the winning runs in the stunning 6-5 victory.

On Saturday, the Wildcats took both games of a double header. Newport was the star of the day, going 4-4 in the first game and pitching a shutout in the second.

In the first game, Northwestern was down 7-5 heading into the third inning, when they exploded for eight runs. Lauren Caldrone, Lewis, Rudd and Newport all recorded RBIs in the inning, highlighted by Newport's three-run homer. Shellmyer added an RBI in the sixth to end the game via the mercy rule 15-7.

The nightcap was scoreless heading into the fourth inning, when Newport helped her cause with a solo shot. In the sixth inning, a two-run double from Zedak and a Cuchran single brought in three runs to end the scoring and give Northwestern a 4-0 win.

For the day, Newport went 6-for-7 with two HRs, three runs scored, and three RBIs. On the mound, she allowed no runs and only four hits in 9.1 innings.

The Wildcats completed the sweep with a 6-5 win on Sunday. In the second, Supple doubled to score Dunlap and Zedak and give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Wisconsin tied it in the fourth, but Supple homered in the bottom of the inning to put Northwestern back on top 3-2.

Northwestern added one more in the fifth when Cuchran singled and advanced to second on the throw, scoring Zedak. In the sixth, Williams helped her cause with a triple, scoring Supple and Cuchran, making it 6-2. Wisconsin scored on a three run homer in the seventh to make it close, but that was it for the Badgers.

Williams went the distance on the mound, surrendering five runs on six hits, while striking out eight and walking three. She improved her record to 8-0.

The Wildcats return to action April 2, when they travel to the University of Maryland for a four game series. Northwestern will be looking to extend its six game winning streak.