HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Kentucky softball takes a break from Horizon League play, traveling to Morehead, Kentucky, for a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader. The Norse square off with the Eagles with first pitch at 2 p.m. from University Field.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse made the trek north to Livonia, Michigan, last weekend, where Oakland hosted NKU on the campus of Madonna University after field conditions in Rochester were deemed unplayable. Similar to NKU's first League outing when the team hosted Valparaiso on March 24-25, the Norse dropped the series opener before splitting the doubleheader the next day. Oakland took the first two games in similar fashion, 7-2 and 7-3, the latter of which featured two home runs and three RBI from senior
Dani Devlin. The Norse bounced back in the series finale, claiming a 5-3 win behind a two-run homer by Devlin and a double-RBI single from freshman
Ava Lawson.
Ashlynn Roberts got the win for her third of the year, tossing six innings with three strikeouts and one run allowed.
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE: The Eagles sit at 19-11 on the season, and have gone 3-3 this year in the Ohio Valley Conference. Northern Kentucky will be the third team from the Horizon League on MSU's slate, having previously taken a 1-0 win over Cleveland State and a doubleheader sweep against Oakland. At the plate, the Eagles are led by returning All-OVC honorees Allison Rager and Robyn Leighton. Rager paces the team with a .427 batting average and a .798 slugging percentage, and has knocked in eight home runs to rank in the top-50 nationally. That number is bested by Leighton, who has homered nine times, with her .33 home runs per game putting her at 15th in the NCAA. The pair has driven in the majority of Morehead State's runs, combining for 52 RBI.
In the circle, Morehead State has seen the most action out of junior lefty Chelsea McManaway, who recently fanned 16 batters in her second no-hitter of the season against Tennessee State. McManaway boasts a 1.32 ERA while holding teams to a .172 batting average, and has recorded 10 shutouts this year, a number that is second in the nation. She also ranks in the top-10 nationally in strikeouts per seven innings, retiring an average of 10.8 batters. The Norse could also see Megan Tymorek in the circle, as she has made nine starts this year, while Rager also fills in on occasion.
As in-state rivals, NKU and Morehead State have a history that dates back to the 1986 season. The Eagles hold a 24-14-1advantage in the all-time series, and have won all five meetings since NKU played its first Division I season in 2012. When Morehead State came to Grein Field last season, NKU was shut out 5-0 in the front end of the April 5 doubleheader before a 6-2 setback in game two.
