Hensley Leads Softball Past Northern Illinois

Wednesday, March 14

LOUISVILLE, KY

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

20-5

NORTHERN ILLINOIS

5-16

Northern Illinois

Louisville

March 14, 2018 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery Louisville 9 - NIU 4

Hensley connects on a grand slam, finishes the game with five RBIs and gets the win in the circle

By: Lori Korte

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior Megan Hensley connected on a grand slam, drove in five runs and picked up the win in the circle as the University of Louisville softball team overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat Northern Illinois 9-4 Wednesday evening at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville (20-5) will begin ACC play this weekend when Notre Dame visits Ulmer Stadium for a three-game series.

Hensley (7-2) went 2-for-4 with her second home run of the season and tied a career high with five RBIs to help her cause in the circle as she struck out six and scattered two hits in 4.2 shutout innings of relief. The Cards outhit the Huskies 11-9, scoring nine unanswered runs after falling behind 4-0 in the third inning.

"We definitely needed to start the game with a better tone in the first inning," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We didn't have a lot if intensity and Northern Illinois did a great job of jumping on us like they did. I thought Megan Hensley performed well, coming in for us in relief and that grand slam was huge in that setting. I also want to credit Blaire Bass, who has come in for us twice in a row in clutch-hit settings and has done exactly what she needs to do."

After the teams played through two scoreless innings, NIU (5-16) used four hits including a two-run homer by Dominique Greeno to take a 4-0 lead in the fourth. Jenny Van Geertry opened the frame with a hit to set up Greeno's shot over the centerfield fence. One out later, Sam Schmidt singled and scored on a triple by Alaynie Woolard who would eventually score on a double steal.

The Cardinals countered in the home half of the inning to cut the lead to one run. Senior Alison Szydlowski led off with a bunt single and hits by freshman Maddy Newman and sophomore Celene Funke loaded the bases. Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson delivered a two-run single and Hensley followed with an RBI hit to make the score 4-3.

Louisville added another run in the fourth when senior Jenna Jordan singled and was lifted for pinch-runner freshman Catie Barber, who took second on Szydlowski's sacrifice bunt. A walk to Newman and an infield hit by Funke loaded the bases for junior Blaire Bass who earned a pinch-hit walk to bring home Barber for the tying run.

The momentum continued for the Cards in the sixth as Szydlowski and Newman registered back-to-back hits and an error allowed Funke to reach, sending Szydlowski home to push Louisville ahead 5-4. A walk to Ferguson loaded the bases for Hensley, who crushed a shot over the right centerfield fence for her third career grand slam, to extend the lead to 9-4.

Szydlowski and Newman each went 2-for-2 with two runs while Funke finished 2-for4 with two runs and a stolen base to help the Cardinals at the plate.

MacKenzie Bryan (0-4) took the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits and striking out two in 2.2 innings of relief. Van Geertry led the Huskies offensively with a 3-for-4, one run showing at the plate.