Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Dana Jarboe and Alexis VanHorn each chipped in two hits while VanHorn, KC Straley and Dee Dee Davis each scored two runs as the Norse improved to 3-20 overall and 1-7 in A-Sun play.  The teams will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at noon.  Sunday's game will feature #SundayFunday Bingo presented by Toppers, and fans who can't make it to the ball park can tune in with live stats and video links at nkunorse.com.
 
The Norse got on the board in the first inning of the contest, beginning with back-to-back singles by Jarboe and Straley. Straley would come around to score on a groundout by Katelyn Roy to crack open the scorebook.
 
North Florida (18-14, 3-8 A-Sun) responded in the top of the second inning with a two-out rally. Danica Mandarano tied the score with an RBI single to left field and a two-run single from Abby Tewey followed to give the Ospreys a 3-1 lead.
 
Both teams matched zeros on the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Kari Lang and Taylor Zuberer, each on as pinch hitters, drew back-to-back walks to set up VanHorn's first hit of the day, a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3.  Jarboe gave the Norse the lead just one pitch later, shooting an RBI single up the middle to plate VanHorn.
 
Ashley Holton tied the game back up the top of the fifth inning with another two-out RBI for North Florida, this time a bases-loaded single up the middle to make it a 4-4 game.  The Norse would take the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. After Davis reached on an error to lead off the inning and Roy followed with a bad-hop single off the UNF shortstop, Hayes struck again, pushing a single through the right side to bring in Davis.  Lang drove in a run with a groundout to extend the Norse lead to 6-4.
 
The Norse added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a series of interesting plays.  After VanHorn led off the inning with a double, Straley struck out on a ball in the dirt, but the catcher elected to throw to second base to catch Van Horn, allowing Straley to reach safely.  Davis then grounded a ball back to the pitcher, but her throw to third on the force play was mishandled, allowing Van Horn to reach third safely.  The Norse sophomore turned for the plate, and the throw from UNF's Marissa Thomas went through catcher Rachel Engel's legs as Van Horn slid in safely.  Seeing the ball free, Straley continued around third and scored as well, making it 8-4.  Hayes then slammed the door with an RBI infield single to plate Davis.
 
North Florida found an answer in the top of the seventh as Katie Mandigo's three-run home run brought the Ospreys within two, and after a Norse error and a hit batter, UNF had the go-ahead run at the plate, but NKU pitcher Alyssa Enrique induced a pop out and ended the game.
 
Enrique improved her record to 2-3 on the year, giving up four runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out one in 5.1 innings.  Alex Caudill came on for 1.2 innings of relief work, giving up three runs on four hits.
 
The loss fell to Cortney Radke (7-3), who surrendered three unearned runs in 1.1 innings of relief.
 
The win helped soften the sting of a 10-2 loss in Game 1 of the doubleheader.  The Norse opened the game strong, getting a two-run single from Katelyn Roy to open the scoring, but UNF came back with six runs in the top of the second inning, and extended the lead with a four-run fifth to force the run-rule decision.
 
UNF got 11 hits in the opening contest, with all nine starters picking up at least one hit.  Engel added a pair of doubles and Marissa Thomas homered in the fifth-inning rally.
 
Radke got the decision in relief in the opener, giving up just one hit and striking out two in 2.2 innings. Alex Caudill (0-11) took the loss for the Norse, as she was roughed up for 10 hits and nine runs.