NKU senior Jessica Farris (center, holding flowers) is joined on-field by her parents, Janet (left) and Dave (center), and NKU assistant coach Katie Sullivan (right).
Game 1 box score |
Game 2 box score
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team celebrated Senior Day with a doubleheader sweep over Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Kentucky Wesleyan on Sunday.
Katelyn Roy's walk-off single gave the Norse a 7-6 win in Game 1 before the Norse exploded for an eight-run second inning in Game 2 en route to an 11-2 run-rule victory.
The Norse (27-15, 17-11 GLVC) took pause between games to honor senior shortstop
Jessica Farris, who has played every game at the position since joining the Norse in 2009.
NKU pounded out 12 hits in Game 1, with all nine starters claiming at least one base hit.
Mandi McQueen,
Dana Jarboe and
Dee Dee Davis had two hits each in the win.
The Norse put the offense together early in Game 1, scoring runs in the second and third innings on RBI base hits from Davis and McQueen.
The Norse then plated four more in the fourth, punctuated by an RBI-triple from Farris and a two-run home run by
Kaylin Steinmetz, to expand the lead to 6-0.
Kentucky Wesleyan (16-26, 11-19 GLVC) scored two runs in the top of the fifth to cut the edge before tying the game with a four-run seventh inning. Katy Kruse ended her 4-5 day with the game-tying RBI-single.
Emily Schwaeble's one-out walk started the game-winning rally for the Norse. After back-to-back singles from McQueen and
Natalie Papi loaded the bases, Roy then laced a single into left-center field for NKU's fourth walk-off win of the season.
Alex Caudill (10-9) pitched 1/3 inning of relief in the victory. Schwaeble struck out nine batters in a five-inning start, but did not factor into the decision.
Rachel Kohlman also picked up a pair of strikeouts in a relief appearance.
Steinmetz set the tone in Game 2 with a towering home run to leadoff the Norse first inning. The freshman, who already claims NKU's single-season record, now has 17 home runs on the season and stands fourth all-time at NKU.
Schwaeble and Papi each had two-run base hits in the second inning, with Roy,
Kari Lang and
Michelle Carson also picking up two-out RBIs in the frame.
Taylor Zuberer also got in on the action, hitting her first career home run in a fourth-inning pinch-hitting appearance.
Caudill looked strong in the win, needing just 58 pitches to end the day for the Panthers.
The Norse now look to midweek action to close out the home half of the schedule. NKU will host Bellarmine on Wednesday and Cedarville on Thursday before hitting the road next weekend to close out the regular season at Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's.
