HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky softball resumed its second game of a series with Horizon League foe Green Bay, dropping a 7-3 decision to the Phoenix. The Norse bounced back in the series finale, decisively avoiding a series sweep with a 12-4, six-inning victory for the final game of 2017 at Grein Softball Stadium. NKU moves to 14-35 and 8-13 in League play, surpassing its win total from a season ago, while Green Bay is now 4-29 (3-16 HL). Prior to the games, NKU honored its senior class of
Dani Devlin,
Paige McQueen and
Charlie Nolen.
Game 1: Green Bay 7, NKU 3
At the Plate
- NKU out-hit Green Bay, 7-6, but the Phoenix left fewer players on base as NKU had nine stranded.
- Junior catcher Alina Maher went 2-for-3, including a two-run home run in the seventh inning.
- Senior utility Paige McQueen also had a multi-hit game for NKU with a 2-for-3 showing.
- Freshman centerfielder recorded an RBI, scoring Kailey Rossiter in the third.
In the Circle
- Junior Ashlynn Roberts tossed a complete 7.0 innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out four batters and walking five.
Key Moments
- The first portion of the game was played on Friday before the weather caused a suspension. Green Bay went out to a 3-1 lead in the first three innings off a pair of unearned runs and an RBI single to left field in the third. NKU was able to score in the bottom of the frame with a single to right field by Lawson, which sent Rossiter across the plate.
- Green Bay plated two runs in the fifth and seventh innings, both two-run homers by Allie Taylor.
- Maher unloaded a home run to left field, which sent Sydney Ferrante across the plate as well, for the final run of the game.
Game 2: NKU 12, Green Bay 4
At the Plate
- Both teams recorded 12 hits, with three Norse recording a multi-hit outing, along with four multi-RBI performances.
- Freshman DP Summer Libecap went 2-for-3 from the plate, driving in a pair of runs. NKU also saw 2-for-4 games out of junior first baseman and junior second baseman Taylor Brummell.
- Rossiter, Ferrante and Maher contributed with multi-RBI games, driving in two runs apiece.
- Every Norse in the batting order scored a run in the victory, as did pinch runners Kate Bartolovich and Kambra Crist.
In the Circle
- Senior Paige McQueen picked up her first win of the season in the circle and the second of her career, pitching 6.0 innings with three strikeouts and no batters walked. McQueen was also strong from the plate, going 1-for-1 with the game-ending RBI and drew three walks.
Key Moments
- NKU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, as Rossiter got the ball rolling with a leadoff single to left field. She was driven in by Ferrante off a double to center field, and Ferrante in turn was sent home when Maher unleased a home run to center field.
- Both teams plated one run in the second, with NKU scoring McQueen off a sac fly from Rossiter.
- After Green Bay closed the scoring gap to 4-2 with another run in the third, NKU's offense exploded in the bottom of the fourth with seven runs and a complete run-through of the batting order.
- Brummell had a leadoff double to left field, and was driven in off another sac fly from Rossiter. Crist then used a wild pitch to score, immediately followed by a sac fly from Ferrante to send Isabell Alexander home. Libecap laced a two-RBI single, and Brummell had an RBI double in her second at-bat of the frame. Freshman Morgan Glover capped off the inning with her first career hit, singling to right field as Libecap's run took the Norse out to an 11-2 lead.
- Green Bay was able to avoid a fifth-inning run rule with two runs in the top of the fifth, but NKU took the necessary eighth-run lead to end the game early with an RBI single from McQueen. The senior drove in Bartolovich for her final RBI at Grein Field, closing out the contest at 12-4.
Up Next
- The Norse conclude Horizon League play with a midweek series at Wright State on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 2-3. The series kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday with a single game, followed by a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Wednesday.
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