ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – Macalester matched up against the University of Northwestern in a pair of non-conference games held at the Irish Sports Dome Wednesday evening. The Scots were able to keep their undefeated streak alive, advancing to 4-0 on the season after holding the Eagles to just two runs in each game and chalking up four homeruns in the series.
Game One: Macalester 5, Northwestern 2 In game one of the doubleheader, the Scots got on the board early scoring two runs on two hits on two Northwestern errors in the top of the first.
The Eagles fought back in the bottom of the inning after Jennifer Ankrom crushed a two-RBI bomb over the left-center fence.
Tied up at two all, Macalester's
Nikki Caicedo capitalized on an outside pitch, driving it up and over the right field fence to jump-start the top of the second inning.
Saraswati Wilson followed suit, knocking in her first home run of the season to bring the score to 4-2.
The Scots scored their final run of the game in the top of the fourth on a homerun by
Miranda Stokes—her third of the season.
Saraswati Wilson,
Miranda Stokes and
Nikki Caicedo each recorded two hits and one RBI apiece in the game.
Brittany Ehmann started on the mound for Macalester, pitching six complete innings, allowing just five hits, walking two and striking out six to earn her first win of the season.
Logan Tootle closed out the game in the seventh, allowing one hit and no runs to record her first collegiate save.
Game Two: Macalester 3, Northwestern 2 Miranda Stokes got the nod in game two, pitching five complete innings and giving up just two hits and no runs. Tootle closed out the final two innings and recorded her second save of the day, but not without a battle.
Up 3-0 in the top of the sixth, Jennifer Ankrom ripped a two-RBI single through the left side to draw the Eagles within one.
To start the seventh, Tootle allowed two runners on base but struck out two before retiring the final batter on a ground out to second.
Offensively, the Scots stayed aggressive—scoring one in the bottom of the second and two in the bottom of the third sparked by Wilson's second homerun of the night.
Miranda Stokes kept her hot streak alive, recording the Scots' only two-hit performance.
With the win, Macalester improves to 4-0 overall this season and hands Northwestern a pair of losses in the Eagles' season opener. The Scots will return to action on March 15 as they begin a 10-game stretch of competition in Clermont, Fla. at the National Training Center.
