Seven different Huskies scored this afternoon as the Northern Illinois University softball team (8-20, 3-6 MAC) handed the Ohio University Bobcats (22-9, 5-1 MAC) their first conference loss of the season. The Huskies, led by a pair of runs from Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill.//Marengo) and Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) defeated the Bobcats 9-1 in five innings.

Lily Cassell (La Grange, Ohio/Keystone) and the Huskies defense held the Bobcats to just two hits, their fewest this season.

This is the second time during the 2025 campaign that the Huskies have won in five innings.

“I was proud of our resiliency today. We really came out fighting,” said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. “Lily led us on the mount with a tremendous performance against a tough Ohio lineup. It was a true team effort and win today.”

The Bobcats got on the board first, scoring in the first inning on an RBI single to center field. The Bobcats recorded the second hit in the fifth as Cassell issued one walk in the game.

NIU scored seven of their nine runs during the second inning after seeing two of the first three batters reach after getting hit by the pitch. With bases loaded, Tess Meyer (La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) sent the ball to right-center field as Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill/Metamora Township) and Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) scored the first two runs for the Huskies.

Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) reloaded the bases with a single to left-center field as the Bobcats were forced to make a pitching change. Rodriguez sent Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) across home plate for the third run of the inning.  Turner hit a 3 RBI double to the outfield as the Huskies took a 6-1 lead before recording their first out of the inning. Mathews singled to right field as Turner scored the final run of the inning for the Huskies as NIU batted around in the inning.

Rodriguez scored her second run of the game in the bottom of the third inning as Turner singled to center field. Turner scored the game-winning run in the fifth as Mathews reached via an error by the Bobcats defense.

Cassell recorded two strikeouts in the game as she marked her fourth complete game of the season.

The Huskies return to action on Tuesday (April 1) as they travel to Ball State University for a midweek doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT in Muncie, Indiana.