March 1, 2008

Binghamton box score
Georgetown box score

After losing its first two games in the UTEP Invitational in El Paso, Texas, Northern Colorado's softball team seemed like it was in for another long weekend road trip.

Not so fast.

The Bears won three of their next four invite games in El Paso, punctuated by a pair of victories Saturday, March 1. Northern Colorado started Saturday with a 4-2 win against Binghamton before blowing past Georgetown 7-3.

The Bears, who improved to 6-16 on the year, are now off until Saturday, March 8, when they will play a doubleheader against the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., before following up with another doubleheader against the Cornhuskers on Sunday, March 9.

Northern Colorado was down 1-0 heading into the fourth inning against Binghamton on Saturday before scoring one in the fourth and three in the fifth. Freshman Kelli Henderson (1-5) started in the circle for the Bears, and the four runs are all she would need. She walked four in the contest, but her six strikeouts kept the Bearcats at bay and ran her team-leading strikeout mark to 46. Junior Hillarie Van Otterloo is second on that list with 26 strikeouts.

Offensively, sophomore center fielder Jessie Schoepflin led Northern Colorado with a two-for-four performance at the plate. Senior shortstop Mackenzie Barrett went one for three, but that one hit was a two-RBI double to left in the pivotal fifth inning.

The Bears finished with eight hits in the win, with seven players contributing.

Game two

Northern Colorado struck quickly and often in its second game of the day. The Bears tied the game at two in the second inning before scoring three more in the third and two more in the fourth. Henderson, this time as the designated hitter, loomed large in this victory, too. She finished two for three at the plate with one RBI.

Barrett, first baseman Katelyn Landorf and third baseman Kelly Johns all contributed two RBIs. Landorf's came on a third-inning two-run home run.

Freshman Jamie Juelfs (3-6) started for Northern Colorado. She gave up 11 hits in five-and-a-third innings but she limited the Hoyas' scoring chances, surrendering just the three runs. The start was Juelfs' team-leading eighth.

Junior Hillarie Van Otterloo, who picked up the Bears win on Friday against Loyola Marymount, came on in relief and earned her first save of the season. She pitched one-and-a-third scoreless innings, striking out two and walking one.