Softball Drops Both Ends of Wednesday Doubleheader at NIU

Wednesday, April 8

DeKalb, IL

2 p.m.

Ball State University

Northern Illinois

Softball Drops Both Ends of Wednesday Doubleheader at NIU

April 08, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

DEKALB, Illinois - - Redshirt junior third baseman Skylinn Pogue gave the Ball State softball offense some life Wednesday afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field, blasting a two-out solo shot in the seventh inning of the day's opener.

It worked for a while, as senior designated player/pitcher Ella Whitney opened the second game with a two-run blast and sophomore second baseman Addison Zimpleman added a solo bomb three batters later to give the guest a 3-0 edge.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals (15-20, 3-12 Mid-American Conference) dropped the opening game 11-1 (5) and the Huskies (15-11; 9-5 MAC) rallied from five runs down to win the nightcap 7-6.

Pogue's blast was the final of three hits for Ball State in the opening game, with Whitney and Zimpleman picking up the other two.

Whitney was credited with four RBIs in the nightcap, while junior shortstop Maia Pietrzak led the offense with three hits and a pair of runs scored.

Zimpleman, who lead the Cardinals with a .571 batting average in the three-game series, added a third inning double, while redshirt sophomore catcher Allee Noble drove in Ball State's final run of the day with an RBI single up the middle in the top of the third.

The Cardinals held a 5-0 lead after the top of the second and a 6-1 edge after the top of the third of the second game. However, the league's second-best offense was able to score three runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh to earn the come-from-behind win.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Ball State softball team, as it hosts Western Michigan in a pivotal home series this weekend. The teams are slated to play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a Noon game Sunday at the Ball State Softball Stadium.