TAMPA, Fla. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team got home runs from Sydney Ferrante and Kate Bartolovich en route to a 9-4 win over IPFW as the Norse swept Day 1 action at the Under Armour Invitational.
 
NKU closed the day with a 2-1 win over St. Bonaventure, improving their record to 3-9 on the season.
 
Ferrante went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Bartolovich scored three runs and drove in three more as the Norse combined for nine hits on the morning.
 
After IPFW picked up a run in the first inning, NKU went ahead for good on a three-run second. Bartolovich reached on an error to lead off the frame and stole second before scoring on a second error in the inning during Hayley Curtis's at bat. Ferrante followed Curtis with a two-run bomb, her first of the season.
 
IPFW got a run back in the second before Bartolovich went yard in the fifth inning, scoring Dani Devlin and Kara Meter on the play, to make it a 6-2 game. NKU scored three more in the seventh inning on RBI singles from Paige McQueen and Ferrante.
 
Jordan Harbacek (1-2) gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out five in the complete-game victory for the Norse. Elizabeth Snodgrass (0-2) took the loss for IPFW, giving up six runs, two of them earned, on seven hits while striking out five in 5.2 innings.
 
Charlie Nolan (2-3) got the win in the circle against St. Bonaventure.
 
NKU wraps up the weekend of action on Sunday morning with a 9 a.m. first pitch against Villanova.