Friday, April 2
Toledo, Ohio
3:00 p.m.
University of Toledo
13-10, 3-4
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Northern Illinois
8-15, 3-6
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Northern Illinois
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7
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Toledo
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7
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Senior Dayna Denner homered and drove in two runs in Toledo's home opener.
Photo by: Jeff Erickson
Rockets Suffer 4-3 Setback to NIU in Home Opener
4/2/2021 6:32:00 PM | Softball
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo softball team dropped a 4-3 decision to Northern Illinois on Friday afternoon in its home opener at Scott Park.
The Rockets (13-10, 3-4 MAC) held a 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning, but the Huskies (8-15, 3-6 MAC) took advantage of a pair of miscues to plate four runs in the fifth. Senior Dayna Denner closed out the scoring in the sixth with a solo home run, her Mid-American Conference-leading ninth homer of the season.
"The talent gap at this level is so close that one little play often makes a difference," Head Coach Joe Abraham said. "If a team doesn't make routine plays and gives their opponent five outs in an inning there is a decent chance that will be the difference in the game. Ultimately, that's my fault and I need to get it fixed."
Senior Erin Hunt (9-7) took the loss in the circle for Toledo, allowing seven hits and four unearned runs and fanning eight batters in a complete-game effort. Freshman Claire Norred (3-9) picked up the win for NIU by yielding seven hits, three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
The Rockets and Huskies will resume their four-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The first pitch of Sunday's series finale is set for noon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rockets (13-10, 3-4 MAC) held a 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning, but the Huskies (8-15, 3-6 MAC) took advantage of a pair of miscues to plate four runs in the fifth. Senior Dayna Denner closed out the scoring in the sixth with a solo home run, her Mid-American Conference-leading ninth homer of the season.
"The talent gap at this level is so close that one little play often makes a difference," Head Coach Joe Abraham said. "If a team doesn't make routine plays and gives their opponent five outs in an inning there is a decent chance that will be the difference in the game. Ultimately, that's my fault and I need to get it fixed."
Senior Erin Hunt (9-7) took the loss in the circle for Toledo, allowing seven hits and four unearned runs and fanning eight batters in a complete-game effort. Freshman Claire Norred (3-9) picked up the win for NIU by yielding seven hits, three runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
The Rockets and Huskies will resume their four-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The first pitch of Sunday's series finale is set for noon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Erin Hunt fanned four of first six Huskies she faced.
- Each team was limited to just one hit in the first three innings.
- Toledo broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Leah Munson doubled down the left-field line to score Lexi Eckman. Dayna Denner then singled to left to plate Munson.
- NIU loaded the bases in the fifth with nobody out on a single, a HBP and an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Hunt retired the next two batters, but Delaney Ostrowski's single to center tied the score at 2-2. Another single by Mackenzie Mahy increased NIU's lead to 3-2, with one more run coming across on a second Rocket miscue.
- Denner's homer brought Toledo within a run, 4-3, in the bottom of sixth, but the Rockets couldn't rally to send the game to extra innings.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: NORRED, Claire (3-9)
L: Hunt, Erin (9-7)
Batting:
2B: WALINSKI, Kelly 1
RBI: OSTROWSKI, Delaney 2 ; MAHY, Mackenzie 1
SH: RODRIGUEZ, Amberly 1
Base Running:
RUNS: APATO, Kira 1 ; JAMES, Courtney 1 ; ERICKSON, Ellis 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Amberly 1
SB: APATO, Kira 1
CS: APATO, Kira 1
HBP: ERICKSON, Ellis 1
Batting:
2B: Munson, Leah 1
HR: Denner, Dayna 1
RBI: Munson, Leah 1 ; Denner, Dayna 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Eckman, Lexi 1 ; Munson, Leah 1 ; Denner, Dayna 1
CS: Reed, Arika 1 ; Nyren, Raelyn 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
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