EAST PEORIA, Ill. - Four weeks ago, the Northern Kentucky University softball team owned a 16-16 overall record after suffering a devastating 5-4 loss at home to Kentucky Wesleyan.
At that point, making the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament appeared to be a longshot for NKU.
Now, just four weeks later, NKU is just one victory away from capturing the GLVC Tournament championship.
April Ehlers tossed a four-hit shutout Saturday as NKU advanced to the championship round of the GLVC Tournament with a 1-0 win against Lewis.
NKU (30-21) tallied the game's only run in the top of the seventh inning when
Amanda Smith scored from third base on a passed ball. Lewis threatened in the bottom of the inning and had a runner at second with two outs, but Ehlers retired pinch-hitter Katie Healy for the final out.
NKU is unbeaten (3-0) during the double-elimination GLVC Tournament and needs just one win to capture its first championship since 2005. The Norse will again meet Lewis – which knocked off Indianapolis in an elimination game Saturday night – at 1 p.m. Sunday.
If Lewis defeats NKU in that game, the two teams will meet again in a winner-take-all contest at 4 p.m.
The GLVC Tournament champion receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. NKU and Lewis are expected to receive berths, regardless of Sunday's results.
