Northwestern’s (6-9, 0-0 B1G) roller coaster season continued in Fayetteville this past weekend against Southeast Missouri (3-10, 0-0 OVC) and No. 8 Arkansas (13-1, 0-0 SEC), as they took care of the Redbirds and fell to the Razorbacks to finish the weekend 2-3.
Arkansas is the fourth ranked team NU has faced in a young season full of challenges. ‘Cats opponents so far this season have a combined winning percentage of .779 (88-25).
Kelsey Nader led NU with a .529 OBP and six runs scored, having a solid
weekend that can be perceived as second to Emma Raye, Northwestern’s MVP of the weekend. The junior roped three XBHs and drove in six runs across the five games to push her slugging percentage to .683. Ainsley Muno was also featured in the starting lineup this past weekend, making her first start in 363 days against SEMO.
In the circle, Marina Mason led with 10.1 innings pitched, totaling 13 strikeouts and a .175 opponent batting average. Riley Grudzielanek and Emma Blea were also utilized heavily in the circle, both in starting roles and out of the bullpen.
Friday Doubleheader
Northwestern 4, Southeast Missouri 1
It seemed as though Northwestern’s bats were hot off its two hour flight to Fayetteville. It didn’t take too long for the top of the ‘Cats order to figure out Redhawk starter Maddie Carney.
After Grudzielanek stranded two runners on base to keep Southeast Missouri off the board, Grace Nieto, Nader, and Kaylie Avvisato loaded the bases by giving SEMO’s infield a world of trouble. Nieto forced an error from third baseman Brooklyn Saysoff, Nader outran a throw to first for an infield single, and Avvisato found her way on via a fielder’s choice.
Carney then walked Raye to give Northwestern its first run of the game, and its second crossed the plate on a Kansas Robinson groundout to first.
Carney then struck out Tru Medina and got Izzy Cunnea to foul out to end the frame, down 2-0 to the ‘Cats.
Grudzielanek continued to chug along in the circle, recording all three outs with Ks in the top of the second. The only blemish that inning was an Aubrie Shore HBP, which didn’t amount to anything for the Redbirds.
Muno made noise in her grand return to the starting lineup, leading off the bottom half of the inning with a single. Kate Renschen, her pinch runner, swiped second on the next pitch to give NU a runner in scoring position. Bridget Donahey drove her in with a double to right-center field, stretching the ‘Cats lead.
The third and fourth innings proved to be smooth sailings for Grudzielanek and Carney, as both arms swiftly moved through the next pair of innings unscathed. That changed in the fifth inning, with both pitchers running into turbulence.
Addisyn Martinie led off the top of the fifth with a walk, scooted over to second on a wild pitch, and hopped over to third base on a Brittany Affolter groundout.
SEMO, already with one runner in scoring position, sought to place another in scoring proximity. Kamden Hutton did the task for her squad by drawing a walk of her own and stealing second.
Northwestern’s most experienced pitcher continued to lose her touch, walking a third batter to load the bases for the Redbirds. With her back against the wall, in danger of losing the Northwestern lead with one poorly placed pitch, she sent Abby Robbins back to the dugout with a strikeout.
She wasn’t able to do the same against Kinley Wilkins. She legged out an infield hit to drive in Martinie for Southeast Mizzou’s first score of the game.
Raigan Brannon continued to give Grudzielanek issues by working the count in her favor, but flew out to Nader to put a premature end to the SEMO rally.
The top of the fifth proved to be the Redbirds’ best opportunity to turn the game on its head. Northwestern, lucky to escape the jam, put an end to the contest quickly. Raye doubled to left to drive in Nader, who reached with a leadoff single, to extend NU’s lead to three once more. The XBH secured the junior her first multi RBI game of the season.
Kate Drohan called upon Emma Blea for the ’Cats final six outs in the top of the sixth, and she fulfilled Northwestern’s need for stability in the circle. She struck out three of the seven batters she faced in the final two innings to lock down a 4-1 Northwestern win.
Just 12 days after her first career win, the sophomore recorded her first career save inside the circle.
Arkansas 6, Northwestern 0
In Northwestern’s first matchup against the ranked Razorbacks, its bats went quiet, unable to keep up with Arkansas’ firepowered offense. Tandem doubles from Kailey Wyckoff and Karlie Davison got Northwestern’s adversaries their first run of the game in the bottom of the second. Two-baggers from Brinli Bain and Wyckoff in the third gave the Razorbacks two more.
Davison’s second double of the game in the fourth knocked Mason out of the game, but Blea didn’t see much more success in relief. Davidson scored on Arkansas’ sixth extra base hit of the game, courtesy of Reagan Johnson, who also came in after advancing on a wild pitch and scoring on a throwing error from Raye.
The Razorbacks tacked on one more in the fifth to put a bow on a dominant showing. Robyn Herron threw a no-hitter against the ‘Cats, limiting NU to just two baserunners on the day while striking out 12 of the 22 batters she saw inside the circle. The senior became the third Arkansas pitcher in program history to record three no-hitters as a Razorback in the 6-0 victory.
Saturday Doubleheader
Northwestern 12, Southeast Missouri 1 (run-rule)
Contrary to game one on Friday, Southern Missouri struck first in their second meeting with Northwestern. Madison Winkler went yard on a full count in the first inning in an attempt to spark the SEMO offense.
However, it was all for naught. Mason trudged along for the next four and two-thirds innings without giving up a single hit, striking out seven in the process. She sent down final last 14 Redhawks she faced in succession.
After a silent two innings, Northwestern’s hitters came alive in the third to plate the first two of its 12 runs. After Nader found herself on first, Avvisato rocked Eliott Stinson for a triple to drive her in. Avvisato logged a run as well, crossing the plate after a Hutton fielding error at second base.
The middle of Northwestern’s order was also responsible for its scoring in the fifth. Nieto found the ‘Cats’ second triple of the day down the left field line before Nader dribbled an infield hit to knock her in.
NU’s senior outfielder moved herself into scoring position on an errant pitch from Stinson and plated Northwestern its fourth run, but it was its explosion in the sixth that sealed the deal.
Summer Branch saw nothing but trouble inside the circle on Saturday, walking three of the first batters she faced. She would pay for her mistakes, as all three came in to score.
Nieto sacraficed an out to score Medina, but Avvisato did the rest of the task with a grand slam that followed another walk, this one to Nader.
NU’s standout sophomore put a career-high fifth RBI in the books as she stepped on home, shocking Saysoff after just four pitches of relief.
Raye and Robinson both reached base, allowing pinch hitter Teagan McCue to notch a milestone first-career RBI on a rope into the right-center gap. Dohse, also pinch-hitting, followed suit for her first two runs batted in of the 2026 season.
Eight runs for Northwestern, seven of which coming with SEMO on the cusp of escape with two outs.
The theme of deflation followed the Redbirds into the bottom of the sixth, which proved to be the end. Cunningham finished things off with a 1-2-3 inning, securing the 12-1 run rule win for the ‘Cats — their third of the season.
Arkansas 7, Northwestern 0
Different day, same luck for NU.
For the second straight game, Northwestern’s offense was shut down by No. 8 Arkansas, this win coming off the back of Payton Burnham’s seven innings of five hit ball. She wiggled her way out of trouble in the first and the second, innings where the ‘Cats stranded two runners.
Ella McDowell smacked a double in the first to start the Razorback scoring, and Tianna Bell added two more by simply putting the ball in play. Robinson’s throwing blunder allowed Bell and McDowell in.
Dohse bounced back immediately, retiring six straight batters between the second and third innings. She escaped the fourth unharmed as well, despite allowing two hits, and finished the fifth in 11 pitches. Medina flashed her leather with a diving stop to save a sure extra base hit for Arkansas.
The sixth provided the Razorbacks another breakthrough. Medina’s team-high sixth error brought in one, and back-to-back homers from Davison and Dakota Kennedy pushed their total to seven.
Burnham sent down Cunnea, McCue, and Nieto to finish off the 7-0 victory.
Sunday Afternoon
Arkansas 9, Northwestern 8
Third time was the charm for Northwestern, as it finally had its coming out party against the hosts of the Razorback Invitational.
Cam Harrison trotted out into the circle for Arkansas as the second consecutive sophomore Razorback Northwestern hitters would see. She cruised through the first two frames with ease.
The same couldn’t be said for Grudzielanek, as her dominance from her Friday appearance couldn’t be replicated against her stronger opponents on Sunday. An uncharacteristic error from Nader, preceded by a single and a hit batter, equaled the start of a rally for the Razorbacks.
Or so it seemed, as with runners on second and third, Northwestern’s junior starter got a ground ball from Wyckoff to find the glove of Robinson for the inning-ending out.
Arkansas wouldn’t need to wait long for the rally it was seeking in the first. It found it in the second, loading its first two runners on base and scoring them with a throwing error. Johnson, the batter, also crossed home plate after the umpire’s ruling.
Kennedy’s double drew Drohan out of the dugout to swap Grudzielanek for Blea, but youth proved not to be the answer for NU, a McDowell rocked the sophomore for a bomb, padding Arkansas’ lead to six.
The contest seemed all but over by the end of the second, with NU’s poor play signaling a run rule loss to come.
T’was not to be the case.
Much like The Undertaker going from lifeless to animated in a blink of an eye, Northwestern flipped a switch and turned a sure loss into a competitive contest that would come down to its final 12 outs.
Avvisato brought home Nieto, who led off the inning with a walk, on a single through the left side. Raye’s two RBI double that followed Avvisato (and Nader’s single the at-bat beforehand) cut the Razorback lead in half. Medina pushed her over with NU’s fourth straight hit, allowing her to swipe home on a passed ball.
Medina also moved bases on the play, then advanced to score on back-to-back groundouts.
Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel weaponized her bullpen arms to hang on to her lead, which seemed as stable as a cross country runner on stilts after watching five Northwestern runs score in the top of the third.
Blea held things together from the circle to give the ‘Cats power supply in Raye the opportunity to tie things up, and she didn’t miss her chance. She doinked an opposite field fly ball off the top of the foul pole to pull NU even at six.
In just an inning and two thirds, fans’ description of the weekend finale went from “blowout” to “new ballgame.”
Cunningham took over for Blea in the circle and kept things knotted up, with a big assist from Donahey’s 6-3 double play.
Fast forward past a 1-2-3 inning at NU’s expense, and we’ve now reached the decisive 12 outs that determines which squad finishes the weekend in the win column.
Wyckoff and Ramsey Walker both recorded base hits, setting the table for an Atalyia Rijo home run that put the Razorbacks on top, 9-6.
The ‘Cats weren’t able to respond in the sixth, and Arkansas couldn’t add on to their new lead either, meaning the game’s fate rested on the experienced part of the Northwestern lineup, which showed sparks of brillance.
After Robinson drilled a pullside single, Donahey went deep to cut the deficit to one.
Needing just one more run, Garden, Muno, and Nieto all had their chances to complete a second ‘Cats comeback, but couldn’t come through. They all went down swinging, as Northwestern fell just short of an upset victory.
The next trip of the ‘Cats docket is to Durham, N.C., for five games in three days. Northwestern takes on the host school in No. 14 Duke, Boston University, and No. 24 Ohio State in non-conference tilts.
