HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team opens Atlantic Sun Conference play in the Sunshine State this weekend, traveling to face Florida Gulf Coast for a three-game series.
Northern Kentucky University Norse (3-14, 0-0 A-Sun)Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles (18-15, 1-2 A-Sun)FGCU Softball Complex (400) – Fort Myers, Fla.
March 21 – 2 p.m. (DH)
March 22 – noon
Series History: FGCU leads, 6-0
First meeting: April 27, 2013 at FGCU (FGCU 2-0, 4-3)
Last meeting: May 4, 2014 at NKU (FGCU 11-7)
#StartingNine – Tweetable notes for this week in NKU Softball The Norse pounded out four home runs and scored 11 runs, but lost a pair to Butler on Wednesday. #LongBall Dani Devlin,
Katelyn Roy,
Ashley Rains and
Kate Bartolovich each hit bombs for the Norse as they fell to the Bulldogs by scores of 13-8 and 11-3 in midweek action. Devlin went 3-for-4 in the opener and Roy went 2-for-4, each adding a double to their home runs.
Ashley Rains's first collegiate hit came on Wednesday, a two-run shot to centerfield against Butler. #StartStrong Rains drove home
Ashlynn Roberts in the bottom of the third inning to give the Norse an 8-2 lead in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Kate Bartolovich and Nicolette Hayes are each on seven-game hitting streaks entering this weekend. #Consistency Bartolovich went 1-for-3 in the opener against Butler and followed that with a two-run homer in the nightcap. Hayes was 1-for-4 in the opener and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the late game. Bartolovich is now hitting .341 on the season, ranking third on the team, while Hayes has raised her batting average 175 points over the course of the streak.
Kelley Benhase had a solid pair of relief outings on Wednesday, combining to give up just two earned runs in six innings. #SettledCircle Benhase surrendered four hits and struck out four batters in 5.1 innings in the nightcap against Butler.
Alina Maher is making the most of her playing time, boasting a team-best .467 on-base percentage. #SetTheTable Maher made her breakthrough last weekend with a 3-for-4 game with a stolen base against Alabama State. She came back the next day to draw a pair of walks, score a run and cut down a Hornets' base stealer in the finale at Alabama State. In Wednesday's late game against Butler, Maher went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Ashlynn Roberts has posted four two-hit games on the season, including three of her last four games. #HelpYourCause The freshman pitcher and outfielder also scored a run in each of those two-hit games as well. In Wednesday's action, Roberts combined to go 3-for-6 with a double and a walk to help the Norse offense.
NKU is looking to win its first conference opener since the 2011 season. #StartStrong The Norse have struggled out of the gate in conference play in each of the last three years, dropping three-game series at Jacksonville last year and at USC Upstate in 2013. During the 2012 season, NKU split a doubleheader at Missouri S&T to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play, losing a 13-12 decision in the opener before coming back for a 2-1 win in the nightcap. In 2011, the Norse defeated Rockhurst, 9-5, in the GLVC opener to spark a seven-game winning streak to start league play.
FGCU swept a midweek doubleheader from Towson to rebound from a 1-2 weekend to open A-Sun play at North Florida. #Eagles FGCU is 18-15 overall on the season and boasts a 10-5 mark at home, though the team's only venture outside the Sunshine State has been to Gulf Shores, Alabama, to open the season at the Sand Dollar Classic. Kelsey Huff leads the way offensively for FGCU, batting .377 with 22 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. Brittany McGuire adds seven doubles and Chandler Middlebrook has a team-high three home runs as six regulars in the Eagles lineup are hitting over .300 on the season. Ashley Dobson is 8-3 in the circle this year, striking out 53 batters in 67.2 innings while holding a 2.69 ERA.
#UpNext the Norse will travel to Marshall for a midweek doubleheader before returning home next weekend to host Lipscomb. Thursday's twin bill against the Thundering Herd begins at 2 p.m., while the weekend starts with a Saturday doubleheader against the Bisons. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with both games broadcast on ASun.TV. The weekend series concludes on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.
