Northwestern entered its weekend series against Wisconsin riding a wave of momentum after sweeping Rutgers and beating UIC last week. Despite a stumble on Saturday, the Wildcats (27-16-1, 14-5 Big Ten) extended their success with a series victory at home.
NU opened the weekend with a dominant 11-3 win Friday afternoon, extending their winning streak to six games.
Junior infielder Bridget Donahey set the tone early for the ’Cats, sending a double down the line to score junior outfielder Kelsey Nader. Sophomore outfielder Isabel Cunnea, who notched her first career three-hit game, followed with a single to right field, scoring Donahey and freshman infielder Kaylie Avvisato. The ’Cats entered the top of the second inning leading 3-0.
NU subsequently scored in every ensuing inning and finished with an 11-3 victory, tallying 14 total hits. On the contrary, the Badgers (31-19-0, 11-11 Big Ten) didn’t crack the scoreboard until the fourth inning, when Brooke Kuffel crossed the plate with an unearned run.
Hilary Blomberg added a two-run homer for the Badgers in the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough to stop the onslaught of NU runs.
After Friday’s dominant win, the ’Cats fell to the Badgers 8-2 Saturday.
Avvisato opened the scoring for NU, crossing the plate after a double by junior infielder Kansas Robinson in the first inning. The ’Cats added another run in the third inning but couldn’t keep up with Wisconsin’s four runs in the top of the fourth.
Neither team scored in the final three innings, as the ’Cats and the Badgers entered Sunday’s game tied in the series.
In the finale, NU found itself trailing 3-0 entering the seventh inning, but the ’Cats saved their best for last.
Senior infielder Grace Nieto began NU’s comeback with a double down the left-field line, bringing home sophomore infielder Grace Minarovic. Then, a flyout by Nader plated senior infielder Ayana Lindsey to cut the deficit to one.
With two outs on the board, Avvisato delivered the final blow: a two-run homer that propelled the ’Cats to a 4-3 walk-off win to clinch the series.
With one series against No. 8 UCLA remaining before the Big Ten Tournament, NU will look to continue its momentum with a third-straight series win.
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