Northwestern sports are getting busy as they prepare for postseason play to begin this month. Softball, lacrosse, and men’s tennis have achieved rankings in the national top 25s. Brendan Preisman has this week’s NU Sports Report.
Photo courtesy of @NU_Sports on Twitter.
Good evening, I’m Brendan Preisman, and it’s time for your NU Sports Report for the week.
SOFTBALL
We start on the softball diamond, where the 20th-ranked Northwestern squad had an undefeated week. After beating Illinois 6-1 last Wednesday, the team swept Wisconsin on a road trip to the Badger state, winning 1-0, 6-3, and 4-3. The Illinois game saw Danielle Williams continue to stake her claim as the best pitcher on the Wildcats, as she gave up just one hit in 3.1 innings, while striking out 6 batters. Nikki Cuchran, the Wildcats’ first baseman, went 3/3 on the day and helped bring in a run in the fourth inning, a frame where Northwestern scored 5 runs as a team.
The Wisconsin series was slightly more dramatic. The first game was a pitcher’s duel, with Williams striking out 7 batters in 4 innings, while her counterpart, Wisconsin’s Maddie Schwartz, lasted the full 7 innings and allowed just 4 hits. The difference in the game proved to be a second-inning run scored by Hannah Cady after she reached base on a hit by pitch. The bases were loaded on walks to Cuchran and Angela Zedak, and when Grace Nieto walked, Cady came home. That would prove to be the only run of the day.
Offense was easier to come by in the next games in the series. In the second inning, the bases were loaded by walks and singles once again, and this time it was Cuchran who scored. In the third inning, she singled home Cady after a double, and Skyler Shellmyer gave the Wildcats some distance with a home run in the fifth inning. Shellmyer would bring in two more runs in the sixth inning after a single scored Nieto and Zedak. The third game was a lot more dramatic, coming down to the wire despite three Northwestern runs in the fourth inning, two coming from the bat of pinch-hitter Kendall Peterson. However, Wisconsin was able to send the game to extra innings after a two-run homer from Molly Schlosser. It took 2 innings to break the tie, but after a Shellmyer sacrifice brought home Maeve Nelson, Northwestern took the game 4-3 and the series 3-0. The softball team will be in action this weekend in a road series against Michigan.
CROSS COUNTRY
The cross country team had two invites last week, both of the outdoor track variety. In the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University, Northwestern ran 7 runners. Star performers included Anna Hightower, who ran a 16:23 and finished fifth in her heat, Mia Mraz, who ran a 16:59 and was seventh in her heat, and Rachel McCardell, who ran a blistering 15:50.8 in the toughest heat and snagged 15th place. McCardell’s time was also good enough to set a school record, her fourth of the season. Hightower’s time is also good enough for fifth all time in Northwestern history.
In the Mt. Sac relays, Ava Earl also earned a spot on the program’s all-time leaderboard, with her time of 16:19.34 good enough for third on the 5K list. The only other competitor for Northwestern in the relays was Kalea Bartolotto in the 10K race. Bartolotto earned a top-15 spot with a 34:36.57, just 17 seconds off her personal best. Next up for the cross country squad is the Gary Wieneke Memorial, in Champaign, Illinois.
TENNIS
The men’s tennis team, currently ranked 23rd in the country, had another very successful week. The team went 3-0, defeating #45 Nebraska 4-3, #51 Wisconsin 4-1, and unranked Illinois State 4-0. Gleb Blekher was the best performer for the weekend, not losing a set while winning two of his three matches in sweeps — the third was a forfeit. Trice Pickens went 2-1, earning sweeps in both his victories, while Ivan Yatsuk lost his first set against Nebraska before winning six straight sets to earn a 3-0 weekend of his own. Next up for the men is a trip to Michigan for battles against Michigan and Michigan State this weekend.
The women’s team had slightly less success. Despite getting a forfeit against Minnesota due to a large amount of injuries for the Golden Gophers, the Wildcats were swept by Wisconsin on Sunday. The team didn’t win a single set, with only Sydney Pratt and Maria Shusharina forcing extra games in any set. On the bright side, a home stand is up next, with Northwestern welcoming Iowa and Nebraska this weekend.
LACROSSE
The women’s lacrosse team continued their dominant ways, defeating Ohio State 17-11 for their 14th straight win. The Wildcats are now #2 in the country and have not lost since the opening game of the season, a 15-16 loss at the hands of current #1 overall team Syracuse. The Ohio State victory saw Hailey Rhatigan score 6 goals and Erin Coykendall and Izzy Scane both add four of their own, but those totals are far from important. What is important is that the team clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title for the second time in 3 years, no matter what happens against #12 Maryland this weekend. The ‘Cats are hoping to parlay their winning ways into a chance to get revenge on Syracuse, which could very easily be the national championship game this year.
For WNUR News, I’m Brendan Preisman.
