Softball: ‘Cats drop one, otherwise dominant on opening weekend

The Northwestern Wildcats began their pursuit of a fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance (and perhaps more) this weekend in Leesburg, Fla. The Florida town — where the ‘Cats played their first 12 games of the 2021 season — was familiar, as was the success, as NU traveled home with four victories in its first five contests.

Rachel Lewis led the way for the Wildcats, recording a weekend batting average of .462 with 11 total bases and stealing five bags on five attempts. In the outfield, where she transitioned to begin this season after a starting in the middle infield through much of her career, she was flawless, recording five putouts and adding an assist without an error. Her efforts…