LeMonierElla_vsUDM_2022_DL
Devon Lucal

Softball

No. 6 seed @NKUNorseSB to face No. 3 seed YSU in first round of #HLSB Championships

No. 6 Northern Kentucky Norse (25-27, 14-13 Horizon) vs. No. 3 Youngstown State (32-22, 17-9 Horizon)
Youngstown, Ohio  |  YSU Softball Complex
Wednesday, May 11 - #HLSB Championship First Round
WATCH | ESPN+
LIVE STATS | LINK
 
 QUICK HITTERS
  • NKU wrapped up the 2022 regular season with a road series sweep of the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne. The Norse locked up the No. 6 seed in the Horizon League Championship Tournament after picking up three wins over the 'Dons to improve to 25-27 overall and 14-13 in conference. 
  • Northern Kentucky's 25 wins is the most for the program since 2012 when the Norse went 38-21 overall as a member of the GLVC. NKU's Horizon League record of 14-13 is the best conference record since going 12-11 in 2019 the 25 total wins is a career high for head coach Kathryn Gleason since taking the helm at Northern Kentucky. 
  • The Norse saw three student-athletes earn conference awards which was announced prior to the start of the #HLSB Championship Tournament, as Kendyl McKeough and Jordan Jenkins were named to the All-League First Team and Alicia Flores earned a spot on the conference All-Freshman Team. 
  • Lauryn Hicks was honored by the Horizon League with the 2022 Bobby Fong Award for representing the conference's core values of integrity, respect and leadership. The junior leads the Norse in strikeouts (126), including 11 in a 10-1 defeat of IUPUI April 22. Hick also earned the final #HLSB Pitcher of the Week award of the regular season after being nearly untouchable in the circle against Purdue Fort Wayne, picking up two wins in the three-game series against the Mastodons. Hicks finished the weekend with a 2-0 record, two complete games, one shutout, 14.0 IP, 22 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .111. Hicks also only allowed five hits and one earned run (0.5 ERA) during her two complete game victories. She boosted her season record to 8-7, along with tying her career-high in strikeouts in each game with 11
  • Kendyl McKeough leads the Horizon League in home runs (14), RBI (38), doubles (T-14) and total bases (98). She's second in walks (21) and slugging percentage (.675) and third in hits (52), OPS (1.076) and slugging percentage (.675), and fourth in runs (30).
  • Tatum Biddle leads the Horizon League in triples (4). She hit two in the five-inning, 21-1 rout of South Carolina State in the Blue Hose Invitational Feb. 12.
  • Olivia Pastin hit her first collegiate home run April 15 against Youngstown State and made a dazzling catch versus the Penguins on April 16. She saved a two-run home run by catching a deep fly ball over the left field fence. The defensive play made SportsCenter's Top 10, checking in at No. 6.
  • Alicia Flores pitched her first collegiate shutout in NKU's 1-0 walk-off triumph over Robert Morris on April 10. The freshman tossed a two-hitter and struck out 11 while walking just one. Arrington Walker hit the game-winning RBI, singling up the right side to plate Maddie Lacer.
  • Ella LeMonier ranks fourth in the Horizon League in stolen bases (14).
 
SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE 
  • The No. 3-seeded Youngstown State softball team (32-22) opens the 2022 Horizon League against the No. 6-seeded Northern Kentucky Norse (25-27) on Wednesday, May 11, at the YSU Softball Field in the Covelli Sports Complex. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. This is the second straight season the Penguins have hosted the Horizon League Softball Championship. Senior Elle Buffenbarger was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team after a vote of the league's head coaches. Buffenbarger, who is making her third appearance on an all-league team and was the 2021 pitcher of the year, led the league with 21 wins, 195 innings pitched and 222 strikeouts, and ranked seventh with a 2.87 earned-run average. She set the YSU single-season record with 222 strikeouts and her 21 wins rank second on the single-season list. Buffenbarger is also the only pitcher in school history to record at least 20 wins with 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons. Freshman Bree Kohler was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team. Kohler, who batted .278 with three doubles, three triples and 13 runs batted in overall, posted a .326 batting average against Horizon League opponents
     
  • Northern Kentucky won the season series over the Penguins by taking two of three games back on April 15-16 at the YSU Softball Field. The Penguins lost, 5-1, won, 2-1, and lost, 4-1.
 
#NorseUp
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Players Mentioned

Tatum Biddle

#8 Tatum Biddle

MIF
5' 7"
Junior
L/R
Lauryn Hicks

#22 Lauryn Hicks

P
5' 8"
Junior
R/R
Maddie Lacer

#3 Maddie Lacer

C
5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
Ella LeMonier

#12 Ella LeMonier

OF
5' 6"
Sophomore
L/L
Kendyl McKeough

#14 Kendyl McKeough

C/UT
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Arrington Walker

#25 Arrington Walker

3B
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Olivia Pastin

#21 Olivia Pastin

OF
5' 8"
Freshman
L/R
Alicia Flores

#18 Alicia Flores

P
5' 8"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Tatum Biddle

#8 Tatum Biddle

5' 7"
Junior
L/R
MIF
Lauryn Hicks

#22 Lauryn Hicks

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
P
Maddie Lacer

#3 Maddie Lacer

5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
C
Ella LeMonier

#12 Ella LeMonier

5' 6"
Sophomore
L/L
OF
Kendyl McKeough

#14 Kendyl McKeough

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
C/UT
Arrington Walker

#25 Arrington Walker

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
3B
Olivia Pastin

#21 Olivia Pastin

5' 8"
Freshman
L/R
OF
Alicia Flores

#18 Alicia Flores

5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
P