Box Score
Overall Stats
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan softball improved to 8-1 in the Mid-American Conference with a 4-0 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday at Fran Ebert Field. Krysten Shumaker threw her second-career no-hitter to earn her 11th victory of the year, striking out 10 batters, on 122 pitches. Kathy Leitke recorded her fifth-consecutive 20-win season at the helm of the Broncos with the victory.
Shumaker (11-3) owned the circle for Western Michigan (20-10, 8-1 MAC). The second batter of the inning reached base and not another Huskie (15-17, 3-6 MAC) saw first until the fourth inning when she allowed her first walk. Shumaker sat down 10 NIU batters on strike outs, giving her 134 on the season and five games with double-digit strikeouts.
The Bronco offense would not be overshadowed by the sophomore rightie. Danielle Daughtry and Amanda Heckaman provided the spark for WMU, each launching two-run bombs over the left field fence in nearly the same location. For Daughtry, it was her second home run of the season and third of her career. Heckaman's blast was her fourth of the season and seventh of her career. The junior is on a bit of a power surge, hitting two home runs in the last three games.
Katie Niemi singled to center to set the table for Daughtry's home run. The senior took a 1-2 offering from Lindsey LaChiana (6-6) out of the park to give WMU an early 2-0 lead. In the third inning Krist Strange stroked her NCAA-leading 16th double to right field. She was pinch ran for by Nina Ojala with Heckaman on deck. Heckaman worked the count to 2-1 before sending a shot into a row cars over the left field wall.
The Bronco win, the team's 20th, marked the fifth time in as many years that Western Michigan has reached the victory mark. Leitke has been in the dugout for all five of those seasons and now ranks second in program history in the category. Her next win will be her 140th with the Brown & Gold.
WMU and Northern Illinois conclude their two-game set on Easter Sunday with a first pitch of 1 p.m.
