Northwestern Softball Drops Series to Ranked Mississippi State
Northwestern had a mixed weekend in its home opener, dropping two of three to No. 18 Mississippi State. The Wildcats captured a thrilling win in the second game of the series on Saturday, but were outscored by the Bulldogs by a combined score of 26-2 in the other two contests.
The 'Cats gave up 10 runs in the fourth inning of Friday's 14-0 run-rule defeat, a game that featured five NU errors. Just half of Mississippi State's runs were earned, but Northwestern's defensive woes didn't matter as the Wildcats were 0-for-6 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
Right-handed pitcher Lauren Boyd threw a gem in the series' second game — the first half of a Saturday doubleheader — leading to a 4-2 Wildcat victory. The graduate student pitched her fourth complete game of the year, striking out five batters over 127 pitches. Boyd allowed just four hits and two earned runs, securing Northwestern's second ranked win this season.
The Wildcats faltered in the finale, though, getting run-ruled again in a 12-2 loss. Northwestern was just 5-for-20 at the plate, with two hits apiece coming from Kaylie Avvisato and Emma Raye.
Northwestern's strongest contributor over the weekend was right fielder Kelsey Nader. The junior, whose .484 on-base percentage leads the team, was 4-for-6 and reached base safely seven times in nine at-bats. Avvisato chipped in a 4-for-9 weekend with two multi-hit games on Saturday.
Pitcher Riley Grudzielanek struggled in both defeats, allowing a combined 17 hits for 14 earned runs in just 6.1 innings pitched. The sophomore was given each defeat, snapping a streak of four consecutive wins. Grudzielanek's record in 2025 now drops to 6-7, with her ERA rising to 4.67. Entering the series against the Bulldogs, Grudzielanek's ERA was just 3.48.
The Wildcats will host Northern Illinois on Wednesday, March 26th, before traveling to Minnesota for a Big Ten weekend series.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.
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