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Northwestern College Raiders POSITION PLAYER during a game against the Roosevelt University Lakers at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona on March 7, 2022. (Zachary Lucy Photography).
Zachary Lucy Photography
5
Winner Northwestern NWC 1-0
1
Madonna MADONNA 3-1
Winner
Northwestern NWC
1-0
5
Final
1
Madonna MADONNA
3-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwestern NWC 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 5 6 1
Madonna MADONNA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1

W: Etherington, Kameryn (1-0) L: L. Harris (1-1)

4
Roosevelt RU 1-3
5
Winner Northwestern NWC 2-0
Roosevelt RU
1-3
4
Final
5
Northwestern NWC
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Roosevelt RU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 7 1
Northwestern NWC 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 5 5 1

W: Etherington, Kameryn (2-0) L: K. Sisson (1-2)

Game Recap: Softball | | NWC Athletic Communications

Softball Opens Season with a Bang, Picking Up Two Wins at NAIA Leadoff Classic

Raiders down Roosevelt in nine innings to pick up second win of the day

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Northwestern College softball team (2-0, 0-0 GPAC) opened the 2023 season at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Leadoff classic facing off with Madonna University (Mich.) and the Lakers of Roosevelt University (Ill.). The Raiders would take the first game of the night over Madonna, before fighting back down three in extra innings to down Roosevelt.

GAME 1: NWC 5, Madonna 1
 
Pitching Decisions
Win: Kameryn Etherington (1-0)
Loss: Laci Harris (1-1)
Save: None  
How It Happened
A fast start to the 2023 campaign against Madonna University (Mich.) (3-1, 0-0 WHAC) as the Red Raiders plated three runs in their first at-bat of the season. Jennifer Boeve (Sr., Hastings, Neb.) reached via an error to start the game and later Gwen Mikkelsen (Jr., Casa Grande, Ariz.) would reach via hit-by-pitch, setting up a prime scoring opportunity. Fifth-year senior Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) would not miss her first opportunity of the season with a two RBI single to right field. Later, a Chloe Gallegos (So., Carroll, Iowa) double would make it 3-0 NWC early.
 
The Raiders threatened again in the third inning, getting to Madonna's true freshman in the circle. With the bases loaded, Maddie Kvatek (Jr., Stevens Point, Wis.) would drive in the fourth Red Raider run via a sac-fly to right field, scoring Mikkelsen, making it 4-0 NWC.
 
Kvatek would pick up her first RBI in a Red Raider uniform with an RBI groundout in the fifth inning, scoring Jewel Bergstrom (Fr., Boyden, Iowa) who came in to pinch run after a Strasser walk, as Northwestern would retake a four-run lead at 5-1.
 
Game Notes
  • NWC faced three Crusader pitchers in the season-opening win.
  • The Raiders hand Madonna their first loss of the season, who entered the game 3-0.
  • Chloe Gallegos led the team with three hits (3-for-4) with a double and an RBI.
  • Emily Strasser notched two hits (2-for-2) with two RBI, a run scored, and a walk.
  • Gwen Mikkelsen scored two of the five Red Raider runs, getting hit-by-pitch twice.
  • Madonna didn't pick up their first hit until the third inning off Etherington.
  • Kameryn Etherington pitched a gem, going all seven innings and allowing just two hits and striking out eight.
  • She picks up her first win of 2023.
  • NWC takes the 5-4 all-time series lead over Madonna.
 
GAME 2: NWC 5, Roosevelt 4 (Final/9)
 
Pitching Decisions
Win: Kameryn Etherington (2-0)
Loss: Kate Sisson (1-2)
Save: None  
How It Happened
Facing the Lakers of Roosevelt University (Ill.) (1-3, 0-0 CCAC) for the second-straight season, the Red Raiders got more of a battle this season after Etherington tossed a no-hitter against the Lakers last season.
 
Northwestern struck first in the second game of the day, after escaping a bases loaded jam in the top half of the first inning. A Gallegos single and an Ellie Jacobson (Jr., Humboldt, Iowa) hit-by-pitch put Northwestern in business in the second inning. Charli Bomgaars (So., Boyden, Iowa) came through with a single to shortstop, giving the Red Raiders the 1-0 lead.
 
The Lakers would respond with a run in the following half inning (top of the third), thanks to an RBI single up the middle to knot the game up at one run a piece.
 
The next three innings would remain scoreless between the two teams, as the defenses continued to get outs for their pitchers in the circle. Roosevelt would get the go-ahead run on base in the seventh, but Kate Kralik (So., Indianola, Iowa) worked out of it with a pop out to third to end the inning. Northwestern wouldn't be able to push across a run in the home half of the seventh and the game would go into extra innings.
 
With the runner on second to start the extra innings, the Lakers used a ground out and sac-fly to take the 2-1 lead in the eighth. Roosevelt would push across two more runs to take a 4-1 advantage into the bottom half.  
 
Northwestern would respond with a pair of walks in the bottom half to immediately load the bases. Madysn Grotewold (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa) would single to the pitcher to push across the first run of the frame, cutting the Laker lead down to two. Mikkelsen would get an infield single herself for her first hit of Game 2, cutting the Roosevelt lead down to 4-3 with the bases still loaded and nobody out. Gallegos would continue the chain, with an RBI fielder's choice to tie the game up at 4-4. However, they would leave the game-winning run on third and the game would head to the ninth.
 
With two outs in the ninth inning and Kvatek representing the winning run on third, Bomgaars would be the hero with the game-winning RBI single to second base as the Raiders complete the comeback to win 5-4 in nine innings and improve to 2-0 all-time against the Lakers.
 
Game Notes
  • It marks the first extra inning game of the young season for Northwestern.
  • NWC improves to 2-0 all-time against Roosevelt.
  • Charli Bomgaars was the hero, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, including the game-winning RBI in the ninth.
  • Chloe Gallegos, Gwen Mikkelsen, and Madysn Grotewold all also recorded RBIs in the win.
  • The Lakers outhit the Raiders 7-5 in the contest.
  • Ellie Jacobson makes her first-career start in a Red Raider uniform in the circle, going four innings and allowing a run on five hits and recording three strike outs.
  • Kate Kralik made her first appearance of the season in a relief role, going 3.0 innings and walking two but allowing no runs.
  • Kameryn Etherington came in for the final three innings, allowing three runs (one earned), walking and striking out two, and leaving with her second win of the season.
SCOOTER'S PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Game 1: Emily Strasser
Game 2: Charli Bomgaars
Up Next: Northwestern will compete in Day 2 of the NAIA Leadoff with another doubleheader against Aquinas (Mich.) and Concordia (Mich.) tomorrow, Saturday, February 4 in Rosemont, Ill.   
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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