NKU ended its season with a 29-17 record.
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Rain fell all over the state of Michigan on Saturday, but the drought continued for the Northern Kentucky University softball team during a season-ending 1-0 loss to Ashland in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament.
NKU managed just one hit against Ashland pitcher Emlyn Knerem and ended the season with a 29-17 record. The Norse suffered their fourth consecutive shutout and finished the season having gone 27 consecutive innings without scoring a run.
Knerem struck out seven NKU batters en route to the shutout. Freshman
Natalie Papi had NKU's only hit, a fourth-inning single.
Ashland (33-18) plated the game's only run in the third inning when Alyssa Kelly doubled to drive in Lyndsey Brandt from third base. Brandt had led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice and later to third on a wild pitch.
Kelly then launched a 2-2 delivery from NKU pitcher
April Ehlers for a run-scoring double. Kelly finished 2-for-3, with both hits being doubles.
Ehlers finished with seven strikeouts but also threw four wild pitches and walked five batters.
Earlier this season, NKU swept a doubleheader from Ashland in Highland Heights, Ky., by scores of 4-1 and 5-4. During the 4-1 win, the Norse collected seven hits off Knerem.
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