Jamie Raabe leads NKU with a .429 batting average as a part of a catching platoon.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The slow melt of the deep snow in the Greater Cincinnati area has forced changes to the Northern Kentucky University softball schedule this weekend.
Friday's Great Lakes Valley Conference opening doubleheader against Rockhurst has been moved to Knights Field on the campus of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Due to unplayable field conditions at Grein Softball Field, Saturday's doubleheader against Quincy has been rescheduled for May 1.
Play-by-play action for Friday's doubleheader can be heard on nkunorse.com.
The Norse are 2-4 following the Charger Chillout, played two weeks ago in Decatur, Ala. NKU saw fierce competition and came away with victories over Columbus State and West Georgia.
April Ehlers earned GLVC Pitcher of the Week honors for her contribution to NKU's victories that weekend. In 26 innings of work, Ehlers held down a 0.81 earned average and struck out 29 batters. Ehlers is holding opposing batters to a .114 average, a high-water mark among GLVC pitchers.
Following Friday's doubleheader, the Norse will travel to Kissimmee, Fla., to participate in the Rebel Spring Games. The Norse will play eight games over a four-day span.
A WORD ABOUT ROCKHURST: The Hawks enter Friday's doubleheader with an 0-3 record on the young season following a tournament at Missouri Western State. Leslie Furdek leads the offensive charge for the Hawks, hitting .571 on the season, while Kayla Thomas has three RBI on the season, as well as the team's only home run. Kayla Hoyer has shown herself to be an effective pitcher this season, holding a 1.24 ERA in three relief appearances. Rockhurst holds the edge in the all-time series, 5-3.
LAST TIME AGAINST ROCKHURST: Last season, Rockhurst used a shutout performance from Heather Robertson to post a 3-0 victory in the opener before the NKU offense exploded for a six-run fourth inning to take Game 2, 10-2. The Norse picked up 16 hits in Game 2, including six extra-base hits, to seal the victory.
Jessica Farris and
Cara Parker each went 3-for-4 in the contest while
Jamie Raabe picked up a two-run infield single in the sixth inning.
SWINGING SOPHOMORE: Farris, the reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year, has continued to stave off any resemblance of a “sophomore slump,” as she has started the season on a five-game hitting streak to lead the team. Farris, a product of Simon Kenton High School, is 8-for-20 on the season, good for second on the team with a .400 batting average.
MOWING THEM DOWN: Ehlers continues to rack up the strikeouts from inside the circle, amassing 29 this season to give her 426 on her career, good for second all-time at NKU, surpassing Emily Breitholle's total of 417.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Friday begins NKU's defense of its 2009 GLVC Championship. Last season, NKU was 13-11 in conference play during the regular season and, after finishing sixth in the standings, became the lowest-seeded team in GLVC history to win the conference tournament.
