Softball

Entering the weekend, coach Kate Drohan and No. 9 Northwestern were riding a 12-game win streak.

Looking to keep the pattern going, the Wildcats (24-5, 5-1 Big Ten) welcomed the only other ranked team in the Big Ten, No. 23 Michigan (20-11, 1-4 Big Ten). NU has faced the Wolverines many times during Drohan’s tenure, but it hasn’t hosted Michigan in over a decade.

“The atmosphere at the J was awesome this weekend,” Drohan said. “In terms of the two programs playing each other, our games are always exciting and entertaining.”

In the series opener, Michigan opened the scoring in the first. Lexie Blair, last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year, hit a double to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 3-0.

The Cats responded in style in the second, as senior shortstop Maeve Nelson blasted a home run onto the roof of nearby Welsh-Ryan Arena. The bats stalled in the next innings until graduate right fielder Rachel Lewis and senior catcher Jordyn Rudd launched back-to-back homers in the sixth off starting pitcher Alex Storako to even the score.

“We’ve been facing good pitchers all year,” Lewis said. “This year, I think we felt a lot more prepared going into this series.”

In extra innings, senior pitcher Danielle Williams stayed in to close the game for the Cats. Rudd hit an infield single off a check swing to break the deadlock, giving NU a 4-3 victory in nine innings.

Saturday’s game only lasted one full inning before a rain delay postponed the game by a day.

“It’s an opportunity for them to look at their at-bats,” Drohan said. “To understand different approaches in the batter’s box.”

When play resumed, senior first baseman Nikki Cuchran doubled down the right field line to get the Cats on top. Michigan, however, responded by piling on four runs in the fourth inning.

Sophomore third baseman and Michigan native Hannah Cady chipped away at the deficit with a solo shot. Then, for the second time in the series, Lewis and Rudd launched back-to-back sixth-inning home runs; Lewis’ homer, a three-run blast, joined Nelson’s home-run ball on the Welsh-Ryan roof.

“Everyone always jokes about how I’m just following the leader,” Rudd said. “I think that really helped with the momentum.”

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Boyd was credited with the win.

The Wolverines scored early in the series finale, and the two teams traded runs until Cuchran hit a homer to bring the score to 3-2 going into the seventh. Michigan pitcher Meghan Beaubien, a former teammate of Lewis’, allowed six hits in nearly six innings from the circle.

But Beaubien’s squad lit up the scoreboard for five more runs in the seventh. NU could not mount a comeback and Lewis’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning was only a consolation in the 8-3 loss.

“Sometimes, when you get in the box and it’s not what you expect, it can be hard to stick with your plan,” Rudd said. “We did a good job of that, but I think we can do better.”

NU will play one game at No. 25 Notre Dame (27-7, 7-3 ACC) Tuesday before a series at Ohio State (23-7, 4-2 Big Ten) next weekend.

With six consecutive road games ahead, the Cats still have tough tests on the horizon.

“We’ll get on it right away Monday and Tuesday,” Lewis said. “We’ll have a game plan. We’ve had great game plans going into every game this year.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @nathanjansell

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