Northern Kentucky University Athletics

ROLLA, Mo. – Emily Schwaeble hit a two-run triple to lead the Northern Kentucky University softball team to a 3-2 victory over Missouri S&T, salvaging a doubleheader split in Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Sunday.

NKU is now 9-8 on the season and 3-2 in GLVC play.

Schwaeble (2-0), a freshman from Cincinnati Colerain High School, got the start at pitcher and picked up her second win of the season, giving up seven hits and two unearned runs while striking out five batters.

After Missouri S&T (8-6, 4-4 GLVC) got a pair of runs in the fourth inning, punctuated by a Kristen Drage home run, NKU bounced back in the top of the fifth inning. After a leadoff walk to Katie Sullivan and a single by Jessica Farris, Rose Broderick got the Norse on the board with an RBI-single to left, plating Sullivan.

That set the table for Schwaeble's shot to right, careening off an access gate on the right field wall and allowing the freshman to take three bases and give the Norse the lead.

She bore down in the circle the rest of the way, taking the Lady Miners down in order in the sixth inning and foiling a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to strand the potential tying run on third base to end the game.

The win was a bounce back for the Norse, who dropped Game 1 by a 4-1 score.

The Lady Miners got two runs each in the first and second innings and never looked back. Schwaeble's only at bat of Game 1 resulted in an RBI-double to score NKU's only run in the sixth inning.

Chelsie Roy (2-3) settled down from the third inning on, retiring 11 batters in a row and 12 of the final 13 batters she faced, but the offense could not solve S&T's Ashley Wallingford, who struck out seven batters for the win.

NKU gets five days of rest before returning to the field on Saturday for the team's home opener against GLVC foe Maryville. First pitch is scheduled for noon.