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Dayna Denner
Jeff Erickson
Senior Dayna Denner homered and drove in two runs in Toledo's home opener.
4
Winner Northern Illinois NIU 8-15, 3-6 MAC
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Toledo TOLEDO 13-10, 3-4 MAC
Winner
Northern Illinois NIU
8-15, 3-6 MAC
4
Final
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Toledo TOLEDO
13-10, 3-4 MAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northern Illinois NIU 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 7 2
Toledo TOLEDO 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 7 2

W: NORRED, Claire (3-9) L: Hunt, Erin (9-7)

Game Recap: Softball |

Rockets Suffer 4-3 Setback to NIU in Home Opener

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
  • 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.
 
 
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