HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky softball hits the road for the first road trip of the 2017 Horizon League schedule, traveling to Michigan to take on Oakland. Due to field conditions at Oakland, the series has been moved from Rochester to Livonia, where it will be played on the field at Madonna University. The series with the Golden Grizzlies begins with a single game on Saturday, March 31 at 9 a.m. ET, and concludes with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Sunday, April 2.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU took on its second ranked opponent from the Southeastern Conference, giving its best effort against No. 17/16 Kentucky on March 29. The Norse led through four innings after Ava Lawson doubled to left field to drive Zahrya McFarland in for the run, but the Wildcats plated a run apiece in the fifth and seventh to escape with the 2-1 victory. Lawson had her seventh multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-3 at the plate and was a playmaker on defense with some memorable outs against the Cats. In the circle, Charlie Nolen pitched the full game, tossing two strikeouts and walking two batters. The Norse also enjoyed tremendous support from its fans, as a crowd of 325 was in attendance on Wednesday.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE: NKU has ramped up its production when it comes to doubles compared to where the team was just a season ago. Twenty-six games into 2016, NKU had recorded 29 doubles on the season. This year, the Norse have clubbed 40 doubles to rank 23rd in the nation and top the Horizon League with 1.56 doubles per game. Senior catcher Dani Devlin leads the charge with .38 doubles per game, a number ranks second among all League players and is good for 20th in the nation.
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND: The Golden Grizzlies have posted a 7-13 overall record and were swept by Youngstown State in the Horizon League opener last weekend to sit at 0-3 in the League. Oakland sits at the bottom of the League in multiple statistical categories, notably in runs scored (43), batting average (.205), slugging percentage (.256) and on base percentage (.263). However, Oakland's pitching staff has worked its way into the top half of the league with a 3.26 ERA while holding teams to a .275 clip. Senior hurler Erin Kownacki boasts the lowest ERA in the League at 1.52 and the fewest hits allowed per seven innings at 5.72. The Golden Grizzlies' top trio of pitchers also allows the fewest walks per seven innings, combining for 2.87 walks paced by Kaley Waalkes, who ranks third in the nation with just .61 BB per seven innings.
  
At the plate, Oakland is led by sophomore outfielder Mikayela Marciniak, who is batting .339 and slugging .475 for the Golden Grizzlies. Marciniak leads the team in hits (20) and total bases (28), driving in nine runs on the season.
           
Oakland holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to the 2013 season. In its first year of Horizon League membership, NKU went 1-2 against the Golden Grizzlies on March 25-26, 2016. The Norse held off extra innings in the series opener after Oakland had a late burst with four runs in the seventh inning, as Zahrya McFarland scored on a passed ball to give NKU the 7-6 win. Oakland retaliated with an 8-2 win before a 13-inning battle in the rubber game went in favor of the Golden Grizzlies, 6-3.