DeKALB, Ill. – Toledo softball (23-34, 11-13 MAC) dropped the final two games of its series with the Huskies, 9-6 and 13-4, on Saturday afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field in DeKalb, Ill.  As a result of the two setbacks, UT finished tied for the No. 8 seed with Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Broncos won the tiebreaker by winning two of three regular-season meetings against the Rockets.
  
Senior second baseman Chandler Rice went 3-for-7 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored. Toledo also received multi-hit contributions from junior outfielder Kylie Gross (2-for-5, run), senior outfielder Celeste Fidge (2-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 runs), junior first baseman Samantha Showalter (2-for-6, 2 RBI) and sophomore third baseman Katie Cozy (2-for-7, 2B, 3B, RBI, run). 
 
Toledo utilized its entire bullpen in the first game, though sophomore Kailey Minarchick (10-10) was tagged with the loss. Minarchick permitted five runs on five hits and two walks in two innings of work. Sophomore Heather Webb (10-12) suffered the loss in the nightcap after allowing six runs on four hits and two walks in the first two frames. 
  
Northern Illinois 9, Toledo 6
Rice led off the top of the first with a single to short, stole second and reached third after a groundout to NIU pitcher Alex Frenz. Fidge stepped into the box and laced a two-out double to center field that plated Rice to give UT an early 1-0 lead.
 
NIU got its offense going in the bottom of the second after putting two aboard on a single and a fielder's choice. A groundout to Rice advanced both runners, and an RBI double to deep left-center scored both Huskies as Northern Illinois grabbed a 2-1 lead.
 
In the top of the third, the Rockets greeted Frenz with consecutive singles from Rice and junior outfielder Ashley Rausch. With two retired, Fidge brought Rice home a second time with another double. A single by Showalter scored both Rausch and Fidge, which gave Toledo a 4-2 advantage and brought in relief pitcher Tara Thacker.
 
With NIU looking to answer back, a walk, fielder's choice and a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position in the fourth frame. The Huskies took back the lead via the long ball as outfielder Jenny Van Geertry hit a two-out shot to left field to make it 5-4. The lead expanded to 7-4 as NIU knocked in a pair off a double to right and a single up the middle.
 
The Rockets received consecutive walks from freshman Morgan Paaverud and sophomore shortstop Megan Choate to open the top of the sixth. Junior Marriah Wise entered the contest to pinch run for Paaverud and executed a double steal with Choate to advance into scoring position. Senior catcher Ashley Maynard stepped up to the plate and lifted a fly ball out to center field to score Wise. Choate followed with a run scored on a NIU fielding error to pull Toledo within one, 7-6.
 
Unfortunately for UT, a fielding error on the infield allowed NIU to plate two unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning, and three-straight fly-outs to right field by the Rockets in the seventh ended the game.
 
Northern Illinois 13, Toledo 2
The Huskies managed to put a base runner on third following a double and a groundout in the first. An RBI single through the left side boosted NIU to a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Rockets were quick to deadlock the scoreboard at 1-1 in the next half-inning after Rice singled to left field to score Gross from second. Gross had also reached on a single to left.
 
Northern Illinois busted the game open with nine runs scored in the third. A base on balls, single to left, and hit batter loaded the bases and set the stage for a grand slam by second baseman Kali Kossakowski to start off the frame. An RBI double and single plated four more tallies with no outs. NIU put three more aboard and scored its final run of the frame off a fielder's choice.
 
NIU expended its lead to 13-1 in the fourth off back-to-back RBI doubles to right center.
 
Rausch led off the fifth with a walk and then plated a run after Cozy ripped a triple down the right-field line. Walks to Fidge and Gross put three Rockets aboard for the first time of the contest. Choate stepped up to the plate and drove a double down the left-field line to score both Cozy and Fidge and cut Toledo's deficit to 13-4.