Lightning notches big win over Indiana Slammers

The Northern Illinois Lightning women's fastpitch softball team scored its biggest win in recent years Saturday when it knocked off the two-time defending national champion Indiana Slammers 3-1 in the opening round of the Lady Hearts Invitational in Bloomington.

The Slammers took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the third, but the Lightning came right back and scored 2 runs in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Sara Strickland walked and Jaci Corn doubled, setting up a two-out, 2-run single from Courtney LaFerle.

Nikki Schlagel then drove in Penny Perez, running for Alex Lagesse who had singled, with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.

Lagesse was stellar in the circle for the Lightning. The Valparaiso junior scattered 4 hits and struck out nine in the complete-game win.

"The Slammers are a fantastic team that we haven't had a lot of success against over the years," said Lightning manager John Radtke. "But today we played as solid a game as we have in the last several years, and Alex was just plain lights out."

The Lightning was tied with the Michigan Hooters 0-0 in the third inning when rain washed out the remainder of the day. The tournament will conclude Sunday.