KENNESAW, Ga. –
Paige McQueen made her first collegiate hits count, driving in three runs as the Northern Kentucky University softball team dropped a pair of games against NCAA Tournament teams to close out the weekend at the Kennesaw State Kickoff Classic.
The Norse fell to Ohio, 10-2, to open the day before taking a 15-2 loss to No. 13 Tennessee to close out the weekend. With the losses, NKU falls to 0-4 on the young season.
In the opener,
KC Straley picked up a pair of hits and scored a run while McQueen hit her first collegiate home run in NKU's 10-2 loss to Ohio.
Straley finished 2-for-3 on the day to lead the Norse offense, which totaled five hits. Amanda Dalton made noise for the Bobcats (2-2), going 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Kaylin Clarke, Casie Hutchinson and Slone Walker each picked up two hits for the Bobcats as well.
Norse pitcher
Kelley Benhase struggled out of the bat, surrendering three runs in the top of the first inning, keyed by a bases-loaded two-run single from Hutchinson. NKU responded in the bottom half of the frame, leading off with back-to-back singles from Straley and
Sydney Ferrante to set up
Katelyn Roy's RBI double and make it a 3-1 game.
Ohio got three more runs in the second inning and four in the third to put the game out of reach as Clarke retired 11 Norse batters in a row. McQueen made her statement with two outs in the fifth inning, collecting her first collegiate hit in the form of a solo home run to left field. Straley tried to keep the rally going with a single, but a Ferrante fly out ended the game.
The loss fell to Benhase (0-1) for the Norse.
Alyssa Enrique pitched 3.2 innings of relief, giving up four earned runs on 10 hits.
Alex Caudill pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the Norse.
Tennessee's Taylor Koenig went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and 7 RBIs, while McQueen knocked a two-run double to account for NKU's scoring in a 15-2 loss to Tennessee. Scarlet McSwain also drove in five runs for the Lady Vols, going 2-for-2 with a double and a home run.
After getting two quick outs in the bottom of the first,
Ashlynn Roberts ran into trouble, hitting Gregg with a pitch and walking Geer to set up a three-run home run for Koenig to open the scoring for the Lady Vols.
Koenig struck for two more runs in the second on a bases-loaded infield single as a part of a six-run two-out rally that extended the Lady Vols' lead. Tennessee scored three more in the third before McQueen's double down the left-field line in the fourth inning scored
Kate Bartolovich, who singled one batter earlier, and
Alina Maher, running for
Dani Devlin, who drew a one-out walk.
Tennessee added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make the final score.
The loss fell to Roberts (0-2) in the circle for the Norse, while Rainey Gaffin (1-0) picked up her first win for Tennessee, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out four Norse.
After a week off, NKU returns to action Feb. 20-22 at the Tiger Classic, hosted by Tennessee State. In addition to the host Tigers, the Norse will take on Bradley and Loyola-Chicago in the three-day event.
