Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) went 4-of-4 at the plate today (March 20) as the Northern Illinois University Huskie team fell in the first game of the series against the Ohio University Bobcats, 11-7.

NIU (8-8, 2-2 MAC) has recorded five straight games with double-digit hits this season with 12 hits in today’s contest.

Stewart had a solo home run in the first inning as she marked her fourth home run of the season. Katy Ramage (Germantown Hills, Ill./Metamora Township) added her third home run of the season as she went 2-of-4 at the plate. Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) was the final Huskie to have a multi-hit game, going 2-of-3 at the plate.

The Bobcats (18-10, 2-2 MAC) scored five runs on one hit in the first inning as they took a 5-1 lead over the Huskies.

Powell added the second hit of the game for NIU in the second inning as the Bobcats defense kept NIU from scoring.

Izzi Hanna (Granger, Ind./Penn) marked her seventh consecutive game with a hit, singling in the third inning. Hanna stole second before scoring on Stewart’s RBI single to center field.

The Bobcats added to their lead in the second and third innings with a pair of runs as they led 7-2 heading into the fourth inning. Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) doubled to lead of the fourth inning of play as Powell added a hit.

The Bobcats added four runs off two hits in the fourth inning, extending their lead to nine at 11-2.

Leading off the fifth inning, Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) tripled to right center field to reach base. Nance scored on an RBI single by Jenna Turner (Marengo, Ill./Marengo). A fielder’s choice put Hanna on base before a Stewart double sent her to third. Ramage hit a 2 RBI single to send Hanna and Stewart across the plate for the Huskies.

The Huskie defense did not allow a Bobcat to reach base in the final two innings of the game.

In the final inning, Stewart doubled to right‑center, her sixth of the season. On the first pitch that followed, Ramage sent a ball into left field, driving in two runs for the Huskies before the Bobcats recorded the final outs of the game.

The Huskies and Bobcats conclude the series with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon (March 21) in Athens, Ohio. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT with live stats and video provided by Ohio University.

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