Week 4 game notes | A-Sun weekly release
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The early-season tournament come to a close for the Northern Kentucky University softball team this weekend as the Norse head to Buies Creek, N.C. to get spring break started at the Camel Stampede, hosted by Campbell University.
The Norse will open on Friday against Morehead State before taking on the hosts Campbell. Saturday's action will see NKU take on Drexel and Norfolk State. Game times and live stats links are available at nkunorse.com.
NKU enters the weekend with a 4-10 record after claiming runner-up honors at the Mercer Bears Classic last weekend. NKU defeated Central Arkansas, 7-6, in the tournament semifinals before dropping a 5-2 decision to Chattanooga in Sunday's championship game.
A WORD ABOUT MOREHEAD STATE: The Eagles enter the weekend with a record of 2-5 prior to a Thursday matchup against Charlotte after seeing last weekend's scheduled tournament at East Tennessee State get washed out. Amber Riddle leads the Eagles offense, posting a .389 average with two home runs and five RBIs. Katie Pfost stands as the Eagles' top pitcher, boasting a 2-2 record with a 3.12 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 24.2 innings.
Northern Kentucky will take on one of its more familiar foes when the Norse open the weekend's play against Morehead State. Friday will mark the 25th meeting between the teams, with Morehead holding a 19-14-1 edge in the all-time series, dating back to a 1986 meeting, NKU's first full season of fastpitch softball. Despite Morehead State's status as a founding member of the Ohio Valley Conference while NKU was a Division II institution, the teams played near annually until 2004, a doubleheader at the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field which the Norse swept, 3-0 and 10-5.
A WORD ABOUT CAMPBELL: The Camels enter the weekend with a 9-7 record after going 1-4 at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational, including a 3-2 win over Memphis, and have posted a run-rule victory over Virginia already this season as well as a no-hitter against St. Bonaventure. Ericka Nesbitt (.538) and Stephanie Jones (.509) have each posted above-.500 batting averages, while Raven Lee boasts a team-best six home runs. In the circle, the Camels look to Courtney Roberts, who has a 3-3 record with a 4.42 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.
A WORD ABOUT DREXEL: The Dragons are 5-10 after sweeping Rider in a doubleheader earlier this week. Jess O'Hara paces the offense with a .306 batting average, while Shelby Taylor has been the leader in the circle, holding a 3-4 record with a 3.47 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.
A WORD ABOUT NORFOLK STATE: The Spartans enter the weekend with a 4-8 record after suffering a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Savannah State earlier this week. Chelsea Davis is the team's leading hitter with a .400 average including a home run and two RBI. In the circle, Jamie Schulle has seen the bulk of the starts for NSU, going 4-6 with a 5.41 ERA.
CARSON'S STREAK CONTINUES: Junior third baseman
Michelle Carson saw her hitting streak halted at six games in last Saturday's early game against Central Arkansas. However, Carson did reach base on a pair of walks in that game, so her on-base streak continues and she enters this weekend's Camel Stampede having reached safely in each of her team's last nine games. It marks a career-high for Carson and is the longest such streak since
Kaylin Steinmetz went on a 12-game hitting streak from March 17-31, 2012.
SPEAKMAN STANDS OUT BEHIND THE PLATE: Freshman catcher
Tory Speakman is starting to make her case as NKU's everyday catcher. Speakman worked the battery in four of the team's five games last weekend and was able to manage the running game, allowing just two stolen bases and throwing one potential base stealer out. She picked up a pair of hits on the weekend and stands third on the team with a .250 batting average entering play this weekend.
JARBOE JUMPS IN: Junior outfielder
Dana Jarboe was tapped by head coach
Kathy Stewart as the team's starting left fielder for NKU's final three games at the Mercer Bears Classic, and she came through well for the Norse, collecting the team's only hit in the early loss to Central Arkansas before getting a hit, a stolen base and scoring two runs in NKU's win over UCA.
