Softball Shows Pop In Sweep Of Kentucky Wesleyan On Senior Day

OVERVIEW – Kentucky Wesleyan

SCORES: Northwood 11, Kentucky Wesleyan 3 / Northwood 12, Kentucky Wesleyan 2

RECORDS: Northwood (17-17, 10-6 G-MAC), Kentucky Wesleyan (3-28, 0-16 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Fisher Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood softball powered its way to a doubleheader sweep over Kentucky Wesleyan on Senior Day Friday (April 17), winning 11-3 and 12-2 in run-rule fashion.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning, as Ashlyn Lundquist launched a two-out three-run home run to straightaway center field, scoring Jenna Kowalski and Ashley Ziel to take an early 3-0 lead.
• The Timberwolves stayed hot in the second inning, adding four more runs. Delanie Gale highlighted the frame with a three-run home run to left field, and Kowalski followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 7-0.
• Kentucky Wesleyan responded in the third inning with a run-scoring double and a two-run home run to cut the deficit to 7-3.
• Northwood answered right back in the bottom half of the third, as Brinley Eckerman delivered a two-RBI single to score Meridith Frey and Chloe Cooper, pushing the lead to 9-3.
• The Timberwolves continued to add on in the fourth with an RBI single from Cooper, scoring Gage Lambert.
• Northwood capped the scoring in the fifth inning when Kowalski drove in Gale with an RBI single to secure the 11-3 run-rule victory.
• Kamden Binney earned the win in the circle, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four over five innings.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 11/16/2, Kentucky Wesleyan 3/7/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 6, Kentucky Wesleyan 6
• Winning Pitcher – Kamden Binney (10-6) – 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Losing Pitcher – Riley Cunningham (2-20) – 4.1 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Delanie Gale: 2-4, HR (5), 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Ashlyn Lundquist: 2-2, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Jenna Kowalski: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, R
• Ashley Ziel: 3-4, 2 R
• Brinley Eckerman: 2-4, 2 RBI
• Chloe Cooper: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
• Gage Lambert: 2-3, 2B, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Kentucky Wesleyan struck first with an RBI single in the opening inning before Northwood responded in the second.
• The Timberwolves tied the game on an RBI single from Meridith Frey, then took the lead on a steal of home by Gage Lambert. Brinley Eckerman followed with an RBI double to make it 3-1.
• Kentucky Wesleyan trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the third, but Northwood answered in the bottom half with an RBI single from Ashlyn Lundquist to extend the lead.
• Northwood broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on a series of hits. Eckerman added an RBI single, Ashley Ziel delivered a two-RBI double, Lundquist followed with another RBI single, and Carney Salo brought home a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 9-2.
• The Timberwolves put the game away in the fifth inning when Delanie Gale launched a three-run home run to left field, scoring Eckerman and Frey to seal the 12-2 run-rule victory.
• Dalaney Gage earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out five over five innings.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 12/15/3, Kentucky Wesleyan 2/3/0
• Runners left on base: Northwood 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 5
• Winning Pitcher – Dalaney Gage (6-6) – 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Riley Cunningham (2-21) – 4.1 IP, 15 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Delanie Gale: 2-4, HR (6), 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Brinley Eckerman: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R
• Ashley Ziel: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Ashlyn Lundquist: 2-2, 2 RBI, BB, R, SB
• Meridith Frey: 1-2, RBI, 2 R, SB
• Gage Lambert: 2-2, 2 SB 
• Chloe Cooper: 2-3, 3B, R

NORTHWOOD NOTES AND CAREER MARKS TRACKER

• Several Timberwolves continue to climb the Northwood softball record books during the 2026 season. Ashley Ziel notched five hits on the day to put her at No. 2 in program history with 216 career knocks. She passes Stacey Klonowski (214 - 2011-14).
• Delanie Gale's two home runs for the day give her 21 for her career, which is No. 5 all-time in program history. She also collected six RBIs to give her the No. 2 spot in program history with 135 for her career.
• Gale also extended her program record for career doubles (51), tagging two on the day to be the first player in program history to cross 50.

UP NEXT

• Northwood continues G-MAC play at Fisher Stadium with four home games early next week. The Timberwolves host Thomas More on Monday, April 20, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a pair of games against Cedarville on Tuesday, April 21, starting at 12 p.m.