NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Kate Bartolovich belted a grand slam and Sydney Ferrante rapped three hits, but the Northern Kentucky University softball team fell short of victory in a pair of games at the Tiger Classic, hosted by Tennessee State University.
 
A four-run seventh inning broke a 10-10 tie and gave ULM a 14-10 victory in the opener, while the hosts Tennessee State took a 3-1 decision in NKU's second game of the day.
 
ULM 14, NKU 10
 
Bartolovich had a grand slam and Alina Maher added a two-run homer in the first inning to put six runs on the board as the Norse answered a two-run first from the Warhawks (5-2) to take an early lead.
 
Two runs in the second and a five-spot in the third, keyed by home runs from Cheyanne Lyon and Rochelle Roberts, led ULM to retake the lead at 9-6.
 
After another ULM run in the fourth, NKU had the counterpunch in the fifth inning. Walks to Ferrante and Dani Devlin followed by a Jordan Harbacek single loaded the bases for Zahrya McFarland, who was plunked to force home a run. Paige McQueen followed with an RBI-single as the Norse continued to play station-to-station ball. A walk to Maher and another hit batter in Emma Coons forced home two more runs and tied the game at 10-10. ULM got four runs on three hits in the seventh to set the final score.
 
Charlie Nolan (0-1) took the loss in the circle for the Norse, amassing four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Melanie Coyne (3-1) got the win in relief for ULM, pitching 2.1 innings of hitless softball, striking out four in the process.
 
Tennessee State 3, NKU 1
 
Ferrante picked up three hits, including a pair of doubles, but the Norse came up just short in the nightcap against the host Tigers.
 
TSU (2-4) broke open the scoring in the bottom of the first, scoring unearned runs on back-to-back wild pitches from NKU starter Ashlynn Roberts (0-1). The sophomore settled down from there, giving up just three hits while striking out four batters along the way.
 
The Norse cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning on Ferrante's RBI single to score Maher, who ripped a single to the gap in left-center field to lead off the inning.
 
Tennessee State got an insurance run in the sixth off a pinch-hit RBI-single from Kim Trice. NKU was able to put the tying run on base in the seventh after Ferrante's second double of the day, followed by a walk to Nicolette Hayes, but Dani Devlin popped out to end the game.
 
Lauren Powell (1-2) got the win for the Tigers, scattering five hits with five walks.
 
NKU returns to the field on Saturday for Day 2 of the Tiger Classic for a single game, taking on ETSU at 3:45 p.m. Central (4:45 p.m. Eastern).