<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey flies drops down a bunt during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Dalaney Gage delivers a pitch\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashley Ziel connects for a double during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey flies around third\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Jenna Kowalski snags a pitch in the dirt during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brinley Eckerman catches a flyball during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashlyn Lundquist steps to the plate during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Kamden Binney goes into her windup during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Jenna Kowalski watches the ball off her bat during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Carney Salo receives a pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Gage Lambert prepares to make contact during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Delanie Gale catches a pop-up during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brittany Steimel connects for a homer during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Dalaney Gage delivers a pitch\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashley Ziel watches the flight of the ball off her bat during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey heads to first during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashlyn Lundquist heads to third for a triple during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brittany Steimel is greeted at home plate after belting a home run\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Chloe Cooper fields the ball in rightfield\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brinley Eckerman slides into home\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brittany Steimel flips the ball to Gage Lambert during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashley Ziel gestures to the dugout after hitting a double during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Kamden Binney delivers a pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ella Wagner zeroes in on a pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashlyn Lundquist receives a throw at second during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey prepares to bunt the ball during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Gage Lambert heads to first during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey throws the ball back to the infield during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashley Ziel makes contact during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey awaits the pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ella Wagner drives the ball\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Jenna Kowalski signals to the infield during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Delanie Gale takes a swing\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Gage Lambert crosses home plate during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Ashley Ziel drives the ball during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brittany Steimel approaches the plate after hitting a home run during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Brinley Eckerman puts the ball in play during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Jenna Kowalski prepares to round first\u00a0during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Hali Lenartowicz takes a swing during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Meridith Frey tries to get down a bunt during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/Midland Daily News<\/p>\n
Northwood’s Gage Lambert awaits the pitch during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fred Kelly\/fred.kelly@mdn.net<\/p>\n
Northwood\u2019s softball team has all the firepower it needs to make a run at a conference championship. And in Saturday\u2019s GMAC opener against Lake Erie, that firepower was on full display.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves outhit the visiting Storm 25-4 in a pair of five-inning mercy-rule victories, winning 9-1 and 8-0.<\/p>\n
Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n
NU improves to 8-10 overall and 2-0 in the GMAC, while Lake Erie falls to 1-13, 0-2.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a good nucleus of hitters back and a good mixture throughout the lineup,\u201d said Northwood coach Gregg Sauve. \u201cWe have a couple of freshmen that we\u2019ve added this year, and they all are tearing it up right now. They\u2019re stepping into the box with a good deal of confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you come from high school and step into a new level (of competition), it\u2019s very impressive what they\u2019re doing with their at-bats,\u201d he added. \u201c \u2026 There\u2019s some good depth on this team, and they\u2019re starting to believe. They pull for and play for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sauve has been particularly pleased with the production of freshmen Jenna Kowalski from Freeland and Brinley Eckerman from Livonia Stevenson, who are two of the Timberwolves\u2019 top hitters.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s phenomenal what they\u2019re doing,\u201d Sauve said. \u201cYou see them during recruiting, and you hope you get them and you know you\u2019re getting a really good player. But then when you see them every day, you realize just how good they are.<\/p>\n
\u201c \u2026 It just (excites) you when you realize, \u2018Oh, she\u2019s even better than I thought she was,\u2019\u201d he added with a chuckle. \u201cThere\u2019s a bunch of them like that on this team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Northwood took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning in game one, as Kowalski doubled to left-centerfield and came home on a ground-out by Brittany Steimel.<\/p>\n
After the Storm tied it on an RBI single by Kaitlyn Hendrian in the top of the fourth, the Timberwolves put together a big bottom half.<\/p>\n
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Ashley Ziel led off with a double, and Kowalski singled to leftfield, but Ziel was thrown out at the plate. Ashlyn Lundquist then tripled to rightfield to drive in Kowalski, and Steimel followed with a two-run homer to centerfield to make it 4-1.<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves threatened to score more in the inning, as Gage Lambert singled and later appeared to score on a single up the middle by Meridith Frey, but Frey was called out on the play for making contact with the ball outside of the batters\u2019 box.<\/p>\n
Northwood kept on rolling in the fifth inning.<\/p>\n
Ziel ripped an RBI double, and a second run came home on an error during the play. After Kowalski singled to put runners at the corners, Lundquist doubled to left-centerfield to drive in both runners.<\/p>\n
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A single by Steimel and a walk to Lambert loaded the bases, and then Lundquist scored on a wild pitch to activate the mercy rule.<\/p>\n
\u201cZiel has been swinging a good bat. She\u2019s got a nagging shoulder injury that\u2019s affecting her now, but she\u2019s been swinging a good bat most of the year, and Ashlyn (Lundquist) and Steimel are starting to take off,\u201d Sauve noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll get Delanie Gale going, too. That\u2019s what you expect (from veteran leaders),\u201d he added. \u201c \u2026 And in the meantime, it\u2019s a lengthy lineup, and we can score in different ways. I\u2019m really excited about this team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kamden Binney (5-4) earned the win, going all five innings and allowing only three hits with no walks.<\/p>\n
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Kowalski went 3-for-3 with a double and scored three times for the Timberwolves, while Lundquist went 2-for-3 with a triple and a double, three runs batted in, and two runs scored.<\/p>\n
Steimel went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs, while Ziel went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.<\/p>\n
Addison Nugent (0-2) took the loss, surrendering four runs on five hits in 3 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n
NU finished with an 11-3 advantage in hits.<\/p>\n
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The Timberwolves didn\u2019t slow down in the nightcap, taking a quick 1-0 lead on a leadoff double by Eckerman and an RBI single by Ziel in the bottom of the first.<\/p>\n
Northwood then loaded the bases with no outs in the second on back-to-back walks to Hali Lenartowicz and Carney Salo and a bunt single by Frey. Eckerman then cleared the bases with a three-run double to right-centerfield, making it 4-0.<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves extended to a 5-0 lead in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Gale and Ziel, and then blew it open in the fifth.<\/p>\n
Following a leadoff single by Lundquist and a double off the centerfield fence by Lambert, Lenartowicz and Salo both singled to drive in a run apiece. Eckerman then doubled to right-centerfield again to plate the walkoff run.<\/p>\n
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Sauve said his Timberwolves are gaining confidence after a rough start to the season against good competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe opened up a little bit rough down in Georgia. No excuses, but we had some injuries, and we played two ranked teams,\u201d he said, adding of his players, \u201cBut they learned from it, and they\u2019re growing and starting to believe a little bit.<\/p>\n
\u201c \u2026 We know this team is good. They have to start believing, and we need to have a little success to do that,\u201d he added. \u201c \u2026 I really like this team. We can compete in different ways. \u2026 I thought our defense would be a little bit better. Early on, we made quite a few errors, but we\u2019ve started to clean that up now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dalaney Gage (2-3) got the win in game two, going all five innings and allowing only one hit with no walks.<\/p>\n
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Eckerman went 3-for-4 with three doubles and four RBIs, while Ziel went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, Lambert went 2-for-3 with a double, and Ella Wagner also went 2-for-3.<\/p>\n
Lily Turkowski (1-3) took the loss, going four innings and giving up eight runs on 12 hits and two walks.<\/p>\n
NU outhit the Storm 14-1.<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves will host Hillsdale on Tuesday, then will host Cedarville on Friday and Ursuline on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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Asked about his team\u2019s potential to compete for a GMAC title, Sauve replied, \u201cThat\u2019s always our goal — to fight for the conference championship — and we\u2019d like to put another NCAA (berth) up there (on the fence).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis team is capable. This is one of the better teams I\u2019ve had,\u201d he added. \u201c \u2026 I\u2019m very high on this team. They can compete.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Northwood’s Meridith Frey flies drops down a bunt during Saturday’s doubleheader against Lake Erie, March 21, 2026. Fred…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144977,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[136,138,137,726,44603],"class_list":["post-144976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-erie","tag-erie","tag-erie-headlines","tag-erie-news","tag-sports","tag-sports-college_sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}