TAMPA, Fla. – The Northern Illinois University softball team earned back-to-back shutouts on the opening day of the Bulls Invitational in Tampa Friday. NIU snapped USC Upstate's 15-game win streak before beating Rhode Island 12-0 at the USF Softball Field.   

"Two complete game wins from our pitchers is great to see," said head NIU coach Christina Sutcliffe. "I'm looking forward to seeing our team take this momentum into tomorrow and continue to elevate our play, game by game."

Today was the first time NIU has shutout back-to-back foes since doing so in 2019 versus Incarnate Word and Idaho State.

GAME ONE: NIU 1, USC Upstate 0
The Huskies logged their eighth double play of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning to shut the door on USC Upstate (15-1), dethroning the only remaining unbeaten team in DI softball.

Freshman pitcher Danielle Stewart (2-4) tossed her first complete game shutout and struck out four batters in the win.

NIU's game-winning run came in the top of the third inning when Caitlyn Shumaker (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) knocked a two out RBI single to the left side, scoring Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) who was planted on third base.

Stewart did an excellent job of staying strong through the final four innings by stifling any offense Spartans tried to stir. Through the entire game, Stewart allowed just three hits.

NOTES

• The Huskies scored one run off five hits and had one error
• USC Upstate scored no runs off three hits and had no errors
• Sam Mallinder (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and Kelly Walinski (Worth, Ill./Marist) led at the plate with two hits a piece.
• Shumaker was 1-3 in the box and had the game-winning RBI
  • She also led on defense with a team-high six putouts
• Stewart sat down four batters en route to her second victory in the circle
  • Stewart also posted a team-high three assists

GAME TWO: NIU 12, URI 0
Claire Norred (Tipton, Ind./Tipton) threw NIU's second shutout of the day, her first appearance in the circle of the season.    

The Huskies' offensive dominance began in the second inning with three runs crossing home plate. Walinski scored Fiona Crane (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) after blasting an RBI single up the middle.

Two at-bats later, Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) reached on an error which helped James and Walinski cross home plate.

Scoring cooled until the top of the fourth inning when the Huskies doubled their advantage to 8-0.
 
Walinski logged an RBI double, and Ellis Erickson (Lutz, Fla./Freedom) garnered two RBI off a single to right field to make the score 6-0.

Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) later doubled to left field and scored Erickson while Mallinder capped the inning with an RBI single through the left side to make the score 8-0, NIU.

The Huskies secured their first run-rule victory of the year in the fifth inning after going up 12-0. A bases loaded wild pitch and Rylie Hartman's (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) two RBI single was enough to end the game early.    

NOTES

• NIU scored 12 runs off 12 hits and had one error
• Rhode Island (1-5) had zero runs, four hits, and one error
• Norred (1-0) earned her first complete game shutout of the season and rang up two batters
• Rodriguez was 1-3 in the box with a game-high three RBI
• Erickson, Walinski, and Hartman were perfect in the batter's box, logging a hit in each at-bat
  • The trio had two RBI a piece

UP NEXT
NIU will continue play at the Bulls Invitational tomorrow when they face Army (4-8) at 8 a.m. CT and Kansas (10-8) at/around 10:30 a.m.