MARTIN, Tenn. – Northern Kentucky softball ended the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic with a pair of wins, taking down Akron, 6-2, and UT-Martin, 5-1. The Norse move to 13-7 with the victories.
Game 1: NKU 6, Akron 2
At the Plate
- Despite the four-run deficit, Akron had the advantage in hits, 8-6.
- Kailey Rossiter had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 from the plate with one run scored.
- Sydney Ferrante drove in two of NKU's runs, both off sac flies.
- Taylor Brummell went 1-for-3 and plated two runs for the Norse, and Zahrya McFarland filled her stat line with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
In the Circle
- Ashlynn Roberts got the start, pitching 3.0 innings for the Norse. Taylor Ginther came on in the fourth, tossing 4.0 innings with two strikeouts and one batter walked. She picked up the win and moves to 6-4 on the season.
Scoring Summary
- NKU scored a run in the first, starting with a leadoff single by Rossiter. She was advanced on a bunt and later driven in off a sac fly from Ferrante.
- Brummell plated NKU's second run in the second frame, singling up the middle before a pair of bunts advanced her to third. McFarland drew a walk and went on to steal second, which left the opportunity open for Brummell to steal home.
- McFarland scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth, and the run was immediately followed by another sac fly from Ferrante to score Rossiter.
- Akron scored its only two runs in the bottom of the fifth off a two-RBI single.
- NKU added its final runs in the sixth. McFarland drove in Brummell off a sac fly to center field, and Ava Lawson singled through the right side to send Alexis McDaniel across the plate.
Game 2: NKU 5, UT-Martin 1
At the Plate
- The Norse held a 9-5 advantage in hits, with two Norse posting a multi-hit game.
- Madi Mulder went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in three of NKU's runs.
- Sydney Ferrante had a 2-for-3 appearance and one RBI.
In the Circle
- Faith Howard pitched the first complete game of her young career, striking out one batter and walking three. She moves to 3-1 with the victory.
Scoring Summary
- UT-Martin took the lead in the bottom of the second when a single down the left field line allowed a Skyhawk to reach home.
- NKU managed to record hits, but could not muster any runs until the fifth inning when the Norse took the lead with four runs scored.
- With bases loaded, Morgan Glover entered as a pinch hitter and delivered an RBI single through the left side, scoring Summer Libecap.
- Ferrante added her third sac fly of the day to put the Norse in the lead as Stalter scored for NKU.
- Mulder clubbed a two-RBI single to get Josie Frazier and Lawson home, and she added one more RBI in the top of the final frame with Frazier crossing the plate.
Norse Notes
- Just 20 games into the season, NKU is one win away from tying its total win record from last year.
- NKU had four players, excluding pinch hitters, batting .400 or higher over the weekend. Ferrante led the way with a .444 clip, driving in three runs while scoring one. Hailey Whitmer batted .429 with two RBI and a run scored. Rossiter and McFarland both batted .400 and scored two runs apiece, while McFarland added a pair of RBI.
- Each of NKU's pitchers picked up a win over the course of the four games. Howard and Roberts had an ERA of 1.00 or lower, with Roberts not allowing any earned runs in her 9.0 innings pitched while Howard surrendered just one in 7.0 innings.
Up Next
- The Norse open up Horizon League play at home when the team hosts Oakland for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday, March 23-24. The Norse take on the Golden Grizzlies in a 4 p.m. single game on Friday and conclude the series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
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