Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Photo gallery | Game 1 box score | Game 2 box score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A big comeback in the sixth inning of the opener sparked a doubleheader sweep for the Northern Kentucky University softball team Sunday afternoon.

NKU scored six times in the bottom of the sixth inning to wipe out an 8-4 deficit and held on for a 10-8 win against Missouri-St. Louis in the first game at the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field. The Norse then rolled to an 8-0 victory against the Tritons in the nightcap to complete the sweep.

NKU improved to 13-8 overall, 7-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Norse also extended their winning streak to five and wrapped up a 4-0 weekend in GLVC play.

Jessica Farris went 4-for-5 with a homer and three runs batted in to lead NKU in the opener. April Ehlers was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI, including a run-scoring double in the sixth inning that drove in Alesa Collinsworth with the go-ahead run.

Missouri-St. Louis (11-9 overall, 1-3 GLVC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a half inning of play, but NKU countered with four runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 4-all. Ehlers provided the big hit in the first inning with a three-run homer to left-center field.

With NKU trailing 8-4 in the sixth and two runners on base, Farris launched her second homer of the season over the wall in left to make it 8-7. An RBI single by Ashley Gates later in the inning tied the game at 8-all, and Ehlers lined a double down the right-field line to plate Collinsworth and give NKU a 9-8 lead.

The Norse added another run on a Missouri-St. Louis error later in the sixth for a 10-8 lead, and pitcher Chelsie Roy worked her way out of a seventh-inning jam to preserve the win.

Stephanie West was 2-for-3 and scored twice for NKU, while Gates drove in two runs.

In the nightcap, the NKU offense continued to roll with Farris collecting two hits and two runs scored. Rose Broderick drove in four runs to ignite the Norse, while Gretchen Lorenz added her first homer of the season.

Freshman pitcher Emily Schwaeble allowed just one hit in the five-inning win, which was called due to the eight-run mercy rule. Schwaeble also struck out six batters and improved to 4-0 this season.

NKU returns to play Thursday with a doubleheader against Ohio Dominican. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.