ATHENS, Ga. – Northern Kentucky softball fell in its first two games of the 2017 season, with an 11-8 setback to Dayton in the first game of the day and a 7-0 loss to No. 12/10 Georgia to end the first day of the Georgia Classic. The Norse start the season at 0-2, while Dayton advanced to 5-2 and Georgia remains unblemished at 8-0.
Game 1: Dayton 11, NKU 8
At the Plate
- Sophomore outfielder Zahrya McFarland posted a solid stat line with two doubles and two runs batted in between her four trips to the plate. The sophomore also scored a run of her own to put the Norse up 2-0 in the second inning.
- Senior catcher Dani Devlin also blasted two doubles for the Norse in four at-bats, with one RBI.
- Senior utility player Paige McQueen had a key double in the seventh inning when she pinch hit for her only appearance at the plate, driving in Kailey Rossiter to give the Norse their first run since the third inning.
- Freshmen Ava Lawson and Toree Stalter recorded an RBI apiece in their collegiate debuts.
In the Circle
- Junior Ashlynn Roberts got the start for the Norse, throwing 3.2 innings and surrendering eight hits and five runs.
- Senior Charlie Nolen was charged with the loss with 1.2 innings and six runs scored against. Nolen falls to 4-16 in her NKU career.
Key Moments
- The Norse took a 5-0 lead early on, with NKU coming out with strong bats as the first two at-bats of the season culminated in two hits and an RBI when Devlin doubled to right center to drive Ferrante home. NKU enjoyed a three-run third inning, starting with Ava Lawson sending Isabell Alexander home on a single to the pitcher.
- Dayton rattled off 11-straight runs, tying it up at 5-5 by the end of the fourth before a six-run sixth inning catapulted the Flyers to an 11-5 edge that would seal the win for Dayton.
- NKU had the opportunity to take the lead after the bases were loaded with one out following an RBI double from McQueen and a two-RBI double by McFarland, leaving the Norse trailing at 11-8. Ultimately, NKU was unable to score, finalizing the score midway through the seventh.
Norse Notes
- The meeting was the first between the Norse and the Flyers since the 1996 campaign. NKU still holds the advantage in the all-time series by a slim margin, 12-11.
Game 2: No. 12/10 Georgia 7, NKU 0
At the Plate
In the Circle
- McQueen made her first start in the circle since her freshman campaign, throwing three strikeouts through 3.0 innings pitched. She drops to 1-6 for her career.
- Freshman lefty Taylor Ginther took over going into the bottom of the fourth inning, throwing the final 3.0 innings for the Norse.
Key Moments
- Georgia used a four-run second inning to establish its sizable lead, going up 5-0 over the Norse.
- NKU was able to hold the Bulldogs scoreless in three innings, surrendering one run in the first and two in the fifth.
- The Norse were able to get a runner on base in nearly every inning except the second and the fifth, and had a strong top of the third inning with three runners on base before a strikeout ended the frame.
Norse Notes
- Georgia now holds a 1-0 edge in the all-time series, as the game was the first in the history of the two programs.
Up Next
- The Norse continue their run at the Georgia Classic tomorrow, with matchups against Dayton and Louisiana-Monroe. The second game against the Flyers is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET, with an evening game versus the Warhawks with first pitch slated for 5:30 p.m.
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