The Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team (20-28, 14-13 MAC) needed just one win to send them to the 2025 MAC Softball Tournament and that win came in the second game of a doubleheader against the Rockets of Toledo (19-28, 12-14 MAC) this afternoon. After falling in the first game by a score of 6-2, the Huskies won the second game, 4-1, to secure their spot in the conference tournament.

This will be the first appearance by NIU at the MAC Tournament since the 2019 season. The tournament will take place May 7-10 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.

Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) extended her hitting streak to nine straight games with a lead-off single in the first inning of game one. Turner moved that streak to ten games with her third triple of the season in game two.

Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) went 3-for-4 at the plate in game two and scored one of the Huskies four runs.

Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) had a combined 3 RBIs in the doubleheader with a combined three hits.

“From day one, we’ve talked about going to the MAC Tournament. This group has believed in what we are doing from day one and believed in each other. I’m so proud of them and the standard they keep setting for themselves,” said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason.  “I’m proud of the resiliency of this group. We aren’t done yet.”

Game One Recap (NIU 2, Toledo 6)

Turner led the Huskies off with an infield single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. The Rockets defense collected the three outs needed to end the inning and left Turner stranded on base.

The Rockets put two runs on the board in the first inning, on a 2 RBI double to left field.

Turner scored the first run of the game for the Huskies, after stealing second earlier in the inning. A pair of errors by the Rockets’ defense put Stewart and Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) in scoring position before the Rockets collected the final pair of outs to keep their lead at 2-1.

Stewart recorded her 12th double of the season to send Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) across the plate in the fifth inning for the second run of the game. Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) marked her fifth double of the season in the sixth before the NIU offense would leave two runners stranded.

Toledo added three runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth as they extended their lead to four at 6-2.

Game Two Recap (NIU 4, Toledo 1)

Stewart and Mathews recorded back-to-back singles for the Huskies in the first inning before Hartman added the third hit of the game for NIU to load the bases. The Rockets caught Mathews out at third as they held NIU without a run in the first inning.

Lily Cassell (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) took on pitching duties for the Huskies in the second game, retiring the first five batters from Toledo.

The Huskies recorded one hit, courtesy of a Mathews single, in the third as they continued to hold Toledo from scoring.

Leading off the fourth inning with a single, Hartman reached base with her second hit of the day. Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) reached on a fielder’s choice as the duo made their way to scoring position on an error by the Toledo defense. Natalie Miller (Fredonia, Wis./Ozaukee) reached base on the second fielder’s choice of the inning, loading the bases. A walk from Kacie Quick (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West) sent Hartman across for the first run of the game. Turner moved her hit streak to ten straight games with a 2 RBI triple to send Alanah Velazquez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) and Jones Estrada across the plate. Turner scored on an RBI single by Stewart as the Huskies took a 4-0 lead.

Toledo pushed their first run across in the fifth inning as they recorded a trio of hits in the fifth. The Rockets offense made moves in the sixth and put runners in scoring before back-to-back outs ended the inning.

Hartman had the final hit of the game for NIU, marking her third double of the season in the seventh. Cassell retired the final four batters she faced as the Huskies took the second game of the doubleheader.

Up Next

The Huskies and Rockets will conclude their series on May 4, with first pitch set for 11 a.m. CT.

Following their series with Toledo, NIU will travel to Akron, Ohio for the MAC Tournament. The Huskies are the sixth seed and will have their first game at 1:30 p.m. CT on May 7.

Hear from the Dugout

“My teammates gave me that confidence (in the second game) and (we) kept passing the bat in the fourth. I was able to send two across and take advantage of an open right field. We’ve been working towards this (MAC Tournament), but we aren’t putting too much pressure on ourselves. We are doing what we do best, playing our softball, and being in the moment,” said Turner.

“Our motto is what’s next and I was always trying to find way to help my teammates from the circle. Just because we’ve secured our spot, it means we continue to get better and we’re hungry. We’re excited to spend another together,” noted Cassell after the game.

“I told Lily to just be herself and she’s been in high-stakes games before. Her presence was outstanding, and she gave us a chance until the offense came around. Toledo does a great job of feeding the defense and we talked about that prior to the at bat of Jenna’s in the fourth. The team just kept passing the bat in the fourth and it was huge for us,” remarked Gleason.