HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team has made a change to its schedule, adding a doubleheader on Sunday at Tennessee Tech to help replace some of the games lost when the Hilltopper Classic, hosted by Western Kentucky, was canceled. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. Eastern.
Northern Kentucky University Norse (0-4)
Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles (6-7)March 1 – 1 p.m. Eastern
All-time Series: TTU leads, 2-0
First meeting: Feb. 22, 2013 at Chattanooga, Tenn. (TTU, 8-0)
Last meeting: Feb. 7, 2015 at Kennesaw, Ga. (TTU, 10-0)
#StartingNine – Tweetable Notes about NKU Softball this week
Paige McQueen made her first collegiate hits count, picking up two extra-base hits and three RBI. #PaigeHasPop The sophomore went deep off Ohio's Kaylin Clarke to post her first collegiate hit in a pinch-hitting role. She earned the start in the following game against Tennessee, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. McQueen's .667 batting average, 2.000 slugging percentage and three RBIs currently lead the team.
Alex Caudill matched her 2014 season high with five strikeouts against Tennessee Tech in the teams' meeting on Feb. 7. #KsForCaudill Additionally, Caudill cracked the top 10 list for career pitching appearances that weekend, entering her 85
th career game to pass Amy Serraino (1986-89) for 10
th all-time.
Ashlynn Roberts had a solid showing in her NKU debut, scattering three runs on 10 hits in a loss to Dayton. #FreshArm The freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio, went the distance in a 3-1 loss.
Sydney Ferrante has reached base safely in each of her first four games for the Norse. #BeAStarter The freshman went 2-for-3 in her collegiate debut against Tennessee Tech and drew a walk in the following game against Dayton. The next day, Ferrante had matching 1-for-3 performances against Ohio and Tennessee.
NKU's freshman class has accounted for eight of the team's 18 hits through four games this season. #Impact In addition to Ferrante's four hits,
Kate Bartolovich has gone 3-for-8 with a pair of runs scored. Additionally,
Emma Coons rapped her first collegiate hit, a single, in her debut against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 7.
When the first pitch is thrown on Sunday, NKU will have gone 21 days between games. #ThirdWeeksTheCharm The three-week lull is the longest the team has suffered since at least the 2000 season. Last year, the Norse had a two-week break between games when a tournament at Kennesaw State was canceled due to snow in February.
NKU has added four games to expand its spring break trip, playing doubleheaders at Tennessee State and UT Martin. #RoadWarriors With head coach
Kathy Stewart looking to replace the 10 games lost to weather so far this season, the Norse will take on the Tigers on Tuesday, March 10, followed by a pair against the Skyhawks the following day. Taking into account the Southeast Games to open the break, the Norse will play 13 games over a nine-day span.
With the schedule changes now in place, NKU has 11 more games against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference. #OwnTheOVC Including NKU's previous game against Tennessee Tech this season, the dozen games is by far the largest share of the nonconference schedule for the Black and Gold. By comparison, NKU is scheduled for 21 Atlantic Sun Conference games, a three-game series against each other school.
Head coach Kathy Stewart needs 12 wins to reach the 500-win plateau for her career. #ChasingHistory Stewart's entire coaching career has been at the helm of the Norse, where she has captured two conference titles at the Division II level and coached the Norse to an all-division record 55-game winning streak in 2005. She will look to join A-Sun colleagues Frank Griffin (838) of Stetson, Chris Hawkins (727) of USC Upstate and Tory Acheson (507) of Kennesaw State in the 500-win club.
