HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team returns to Atlantic Sun Conference play this weekend with a three-game series against Lipscomb. Due to cold weather concerns, the teams have adjusted the weekend schedule. There will be a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m. followed by a doubleheader beginning Sunday at noon. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on ASun.TV.
 
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-16, 1-2 A-Sun)
Lipscomb University Lady Bisons (13-17, 1-2 A-Sun)
March 28 – 1 p.m.
March 29 – noon (DH)
Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field (500) – Highland Heights, Ky.
Series History: Lipscomb leads, 6-0
First meeting: May 3, 2013 at NKU (LU 3-0, 6-0)
Last meeting: April 27, 2014 at Lipscomb (LU 6-3)
 
#StartingNine – Tweetable notes about Norse Softball this week
 
Alex Caudill pitched a 2-0 shutout on Saturday against FGCU to salvage a doubleheader split. #ClutchPerformance The senior from West Chester, Ohio, scattered six hits, walked one and struck out another to pick up her second win of the season in the circle. The blanking was the first for the Norse since a 4-0 win over East Tennessee State on April 14, and the first road shutout for the Norse since their move to Division I.
 
Dani Devlin continued her offensive onslaught last weekend, and now ranks third in the Atlantic Sun in slugging. #PowerTrip The sophomore catcher batted .467 (7-for-15) with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs to lead the Norse after capturing A-Sun Co-Player of the Week honors the week prior. She now boasts an .843 slugging percentage, which ranks third in the league behind Shellie Robinson (.935) and Cheyenne Griffin (.867) of USC Upstate.
 
Two other Norse – Kate Bartolovich and Katelyn Roy -- land in the top 15 among league sluggers #HeartOfTheOrder Bartolovich is slugging .580 on the season, which ranks second among conference freshmen behind Upstate's Karla Beasley (.712) and 14^th in the league. Roy's .574 slugging mark ranks 15^th in the league as well.
 
Bartolovich had an eight-game hitting streak snapped in NKU's 2-0 win over FGCU. #SeeTheBall A 1-for-2 performance in the opener that day extended the streak, which stands as the longest for the Norse so far this season. Nicolette Hayes had a seven-game hitting streak as well, while Devlin has gotten a base hit in nine of her last 10 games. Bartolovich's streak is the longest for a Norse hitter since Dee Dee Davis strung together hits in 13 straight games during the 2013 season.
 
Kelley Benhase equaled her high-water mark from last season with four strikeouts against Butler last week. #MowEmDown Benhase was a solid reliever for the Norse last week, maintaining a 2.10 ERA over 6.2 innings of work with five strikeouts total.
 
The Norse lead the A-Sun in runners caught stealing this season, stopping 36 percent of potential base stealers thus far. #NoSwiping Devlin has cut down nine opponents looking to take an extra base so far. North Florida falls second in the league at 31 percent.
 
With her next appearance, Alex Caudill will tie Jamie Moore and Amanda Smith for seventh all-time at NKU. #ClimbingTheRanks Caudill enters Thursday's doubleheader with 94 career appearances after pitching in four of NKU's five games last week.
 
Lipscomb snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Western Kentucky. #LadyBisons Lipscomb enters the weekend with a 13-17 record, but only four wins away from their home field. Paige Neely leads the offensive effort for the Lady Bisons, batting .363 with a team-best 11 doubles. Brittany Elmore has a team-best 25 runs scored while Baylee Williams has driven in 21. In the circle, Kelly Young leads the way with a 7-9 record, maintaining a 3.21 ERA while posting 100 strikeouts in 102.1 innings on the year.
 
#UpNext the Norse conclude their five-game home stand with a midweek doubleheader against Austin Peay. First pitch from the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. Live stats will be available at NKUNorse.com.