TOLEDO, OH – The Toledo softball team completed a three-game sweep of MAC West Division leader Northern Illinois on Saturday with a pair of one-run victories. Toledo improves to 18-31 on the season and 9-11 in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies drop to 32-16 overall and 12-8 in the conference.
 
The Rockets concluded Friday's suspended game in the 10^th inning with a bases-loaded single by senior RF Jessica Lemieux to win the game, 7-6. Then with the help of scoring seven of its eight runs with two outs, the Midnight Blue & Gold came from behind to win game three, 8-7.
 
Senior RHP Marla Gooding (15-15) collected all three wins this weekend after pitching for 15.1 innings.

"It took a lot of heart to win today, especially from Marla who pitched in all three games for us," said head coach Kristen Butler. "I think winning is contagious and our team has become very confident up and down the lineup. Every person has been contributing and we have really come together as a team, which has been a huge factor in our success."
 
"I have to give it up to our great group of seniors. Marla, Jessica and Sammy all lead by example, but in the past few weeks they've all stepped up and become more outspoken," Butler added. "They've really taken charge on this team and the encouragement they give to our younger players has really made a difference in our game."

GAME 2 (RESUMED)
In Friday's second game, the Huskies plated five quick runs in the first and appeared to be on their way to a doubleheader split.
 
UT fought back though with a run in the first and three more in the second. Lemieux hit her fourth homer of the season to put Toledo on the board in the first frame and senior LF Sammy Emery hit a bases-loaded triple to bring UT within one.
 
NIU extended its lead in the fourth with a run scored on a sacrifice fly. Lemieux responded with a sacrifice fly of her own in the bottom of the inning to score freshman SS Megan Choate.
 
In the seventh frame, sophomore C Kaitlyn Bergman forced the contest into extra innings when she scored on an error.

At the end of the ninth inning, the umpires suspended the game due to darkness. 
 
The game resumed on Saturday and Gooding retired NIU's first three batters.
 
The Rockets loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Lemieux's single to left center ended the game, 7-6.
 
GAME 3
Rockets started things off in game two with a lead-off double by Lemieux. Lemieux scored on junior 2B Chandler Rice's RBI double.
 
The Huskies took a 4-1 lead with a pair of two-run bombs to left field in the second and third innings. Freshman RHP Heather Webb entered the game in the third to replace Gooding in the circle.
 
In the bottom of the third, sophomore 1B Samantha Showalter doubled down the left-field line to score Emery and Rice, bringing UT within one.
 
Toledo tied the game in the fourth frame when Lemieux's single to right field scored Choate from second.
 
Northern Illinois took back the lead in the fifth with a lead-off home run to left field. The lead changed hands again in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of NIU errors and Choate's RBI single.

Gooding re-entered the game and allowed a pair of NIU runs in the sixth. UT quickly responded in its turn at bat when junior 3B Brittany George doubled to right field to score Showalter and Rice.

The Huskies were unable to add anything in the seventh, handing Toledo its 10th-consecutive victory.