Northwestern split Friday and Saturday doubleheaders at the Duke Invitational in Durham, North Carolina, in its final games before conference play.
The Wildcats (8-11, 0-0 Big Ten) dropped their opener to Boston University 6-4, then dominated Ohio State 11-1 on Friday afternoon. NU got its revenge 6-3 over BU the next morning, but it came up short against No. 20 Duke in a 6-1 loss to close out the weekend.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Signe Dohse was credited with the Friday loss after giving up six earned runs in the second inning against the Terriers (8-10, 0-0 Patriot League). After Dohse walked the first batter, BU outfielder Camryn Lyons helped her teammate advance to third base with a single to right field. Lyons then took second on a wild pitch, and with two runners in scoring position, catcher Livia Christopher capitalized with a double.
Bad became worse when senior outfielder Kelsey Nader’s fielding error allowed another two Terriers to score. BU infielder Brooke Deppiesse then tacked on two runs with a home run to left center, and Dohse’s day was done with just one out in the inning. NU put up a valiant four-run sixth inning to get back in the game, but a three-up, three-down seventh inning closed the door on its comeback effort.
In the afternoon, Ohio State infielder Abbie Wilhelm plated the Buckeyes’ (6-11, 0-0 Big Ten) lone run of the game in the first inning. Freshman pitcher Marina Mason was relentless from then on, allowing three hits and notching eight strikeouts in a complete game. Seven NU runs in the seventh inning started with senior infielder Kansas Robinson’s two-run shot over the center field wall and were followed by three straight RBI singles and a two-run single.
The scoring was more spread out in NU’s rematch with BU, and the sixth inning was the only one in which neither team scored. Many ’Cats contributed up and down coach Kate Drohan’s lineup: cleanup hitter and junior catcher Emma Raye opened the scoring with a double, No. 8 hitter and senior infielder Bridget Donahey brought home another, No. 6 hitter Robinson added her second two-run homer in two days and No. 2 hitter Nader’s single batted in a fifth run.
Up 5-2 in the sixth inning with runners on the corners, NU capped its scoring with a nifty bit of baserunning. Freshman infielder Tru Medina attempted to steal second base, forcing BU’s Christopher to throw across the diamond. Freshman outfielder Kate Renschen bolted home, and the throw back to Christopher was too late. In the pitcher’s circle, junior pitcher Riley Grudzielanek struck out six and allowed three runs for a complete game.
NU lost to a ranked team for the seventh time this season Saturday afternoon. With runners on first and second, Raye hit a ground ball up the middle to bring one home. But after a one-two-three bottom frame for Mason, the ’Cats grew cold while the Blue Devils (12-9, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) heated up.
Over the next three innings, Blue Devils outfield duo of Layla Lamar and D’Auna Jennings combined for three solo home runs. Jennings’ homer made her Duke’s all-time hits leader, and she followed up that milestone with a fifth-inning double. Blue Devil infielder Aminah Vega’s three-run shot brought Jennings home.
NU will open conference play with a series at No. 24 Washington from Friday to Sunday.
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