SEATTLE – Led by sophomore Morgan Newport at the plate and in the circle, Northwestern started a Saturday doubleheader at the Husky Classic with a 7-4 victory over Portland State.
Northwestern improves to 9-7 on the season with its victory while Portland State now is 2-10 with its loss. The Wildcats also defeated the Vikings Friday, 6-0.
Northwestern returns to action immediately against BYU.
Newport had a career day for Northwestern, finishing 3-for-3 with four RBIs at the plate while throwing a perfect final four outs for a save in the circle.
Fifth-year senior Nicole Bond started in the circle for the Wildcats and retired the first two batters she face. The third, however, hit a solo home run off the fair pole down the left field line to give the Vikings a quick 1-0 edge.
Northwestern answered immediately, starting a second-inning rally with a Morgan Nelson HBP. Lily Novak dumped a double into right-center, pushing Nelson over to third with no outs. The next batter hit a grounder to short and the throw came home, where the catcher who was sitting on the plate was able to tag out Nelson. Novak moved to third on the plate and scored when Morgan Newport singled into right to tie the game, 1-1.
Portland State prevented Northwestern from taking the lead on the very next pitch when the shortstop gloved a hard line drive off the bat of Sammy Nettling and stepped on second to double up the runner.
The Vikings ended another Wildcats rally with an inning-ending double play in the third, but they could not stem the purple tide in the fourth. With one away (after a wicked line drive out from Rachel Lewis) Nelson singled, Novak was hit by a pitch and Brooke Marquez walked to load the bases. Newport drove all three of those Wildcats in with a double that split the gap in left-center, making NU's lead 4-1.
Portland State went to the bullpen for Serafine Parrish after the Newport two-bagger, and Nettling greeted her with a double that scored Newport to push the NU lead out to 5-1 before the rally ended.
The Vikings had the next-best threat in the bottom of the fifth, getting runners to second and third with no outs. Bond retired the next batter on a groundout before Kenzie Ellis entered the circle in relief and fanned the first Viking she faced. The following batter, however, hit a three-run home run to pull Portland State back within one run, 5-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Portland State put itself in position to tie or take the lead, getting runners to second and third with one out. Ellis struck out a batter before Newport entered the circle for a critical lefty on lefty matchup with the Vikings leadoff hitter. Newport won the battle, getting a flyout to center to keep NU on top.
After the scare, the Wildcats got some insurance with three-straight hits to start the seventh. Sabrina Rabin and Marissa Panko both singled on the infield, then each came around to score when Lewis ripped a double just inside the third-base bag to make it a 7-4 contest.
Bond (1-1) got the win with 4.1 innings of work in the circle, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks with a strikeout. Ellis threw 1.1 innings of relief, giving up one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Newport was perfect through 1.1 frames for the save.
In addition to Newport at the dish, Lewis drove in two and Novak scored twice.