Week 3 game notes |
A-Sun weekly release
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Fresh on the heels of their first Division I victory, the Northern Kentucky University softball team goes back to work this weekend, taking part in the Mercer Bears Classic in Macon, Ga.
The tournament will be structured in round-robin format with the Norse taking on Chattanooga, Central Arkansas and host Mercer, followed by a knockout bracket. Game times and live stat links are listed at nkunorse.com.
The Norse now stand 3-6 on the season after posting a 3-2 record at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. NKU posted wins over Toledo, N.C. Central and Niagara in the three-day event.
A WORD ABOUT CHATTANOOGA: The Lady Mocs are 7-7 on the season, but dropped their last two games of the Frost Classic against Boston College and Missouri State. First baseman Kasey Tydingco paces the Chattanooga offense, maintaining a .410 batting average while driving in a team-high 12 runs. Taylor Deason has been the steady force in the circle, going 6-5 on the season with a 3.50 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 46 innings of work.
A WORD ABOUT MERCER: The Norse and Bears will meet in a non-conference matchup at this tournament, with a three-game series scheduled in mid-March as NKU's home-opener. The Bears are 9-9 on the season, having posted a marquee win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 20. McKenzie Woody leads the Bears offense with a .444 batting average and seven stolen bases while Randi Rea has a team-best eight extra-base hits and 17 runs scored. Kerri Nidiffer leads the pitching staff with a 5-6 record and a 3.00 ERA in 56 innings of work.
A WORD ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS: The Bears enter the weekend with an 11-5 record, including a 4-2 victory over Ole Miss earlier this season. Sam Forrest paces the offense with a .450 batting average, including nine doubles, while Melanie Bryant has a team-high five home runs. Kelsie Armstrong's 1.80 ERA leads the pitching staff, as do her 91 strikeouts over 66 innings so far this season.
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL ARKANSAS: The Norse overcame a two-run first inning for the Bears to post a 5-2 win over UCA in the teams' only meeting on Feb. 12, 2005 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. Emily Breitholle struck out seven while Ricki Rothbauer had a pair of hits, including a triple, and stole a base as the Norse had 11 hits on the day.
CARSON'S STREAK: Junior third baseman
Michelle Carson has been on a hitting tear over the past week, posting a team-best .385 batting average at last weekend's Frost Classic. She enters play this weekend with a four-game hitting streak, the longest such streak by a Norse so far this season. Two other Norse have amassed four-game on-base streaks:
Kaylin Steinmetz, who is currently on a four-game on-base streak, and
Natalie Papi, who started the season with a four-game on-base streak.
BENHASE BECOMES HISTORIC: Sophomore pitcher
Kelley Benhase will forever be remembered as the first winning pitcher in NKU softball's so-far brief Division I history. Benhase scattered six hits and struck out six batters in a 6-2 victory over Toledo on Feb. 22, marking NKU's first-ever Division I victory. Benhase continued her solid work in the circle the remainder of the weekend, getting victories over North Carolina Central and Niagara as well, and now boasts a 3-2 record with a 2.21 earned run average on the season.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: NKU's freshman class is making an immediate impact this season through the team's first two weekends.
Alexis VanHorn has stepped in as the team's everyday shortstop while
Tory Speakman continues to make her case known behind the plate, earning three starts in nine games. Meanwhile,
Nicolette Hayes has been an effective pinch hitter and spot starter, going 2-for-4 with a double in the young season.
