KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Northern Kentucky softball team's storybook season came to an end in the program's first NCAA appearance in school history as the Norse were knocked off by the Louisville Cardinals, 9-1 late Saturday night in an elimination game at Lee Stadium.
It was a season that NKU and Norse Nation won't forget as the program made it to the NCAA's and captured the Horizon League Championship for the first time in school history, to go with the first Power Five win in program history (over Michigan State on Feb. 12) and the first two no-hitters during NKU's NCAA Division I era.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky – 1, Louisville – 9 (5 innings)
LOCATION: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – Knoxville, Tennessee
RECORDS: NKU 23-32 (13-9 HL), UL 36-19 (16-7 ACC)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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Brielle DiMemmo recorded the first run in NKU NCAA Tournament history with a solo bomb in the top of the fifth as she posted a 1-for-2 day at the dish.
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Trinity Robertson (1-for-1, BB) and
Jena Rhoads (1-for-3) also added hits for the Norse in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Norse stuck with the Cardinals through the first three innings of the game as neither side could push a run across on offense.
- Louisville blew the game open with a six-run bottom of the fourth to make it a 6-0 contest.
- The Norse responded with DiMemmo's no-doubter in the top of the fifth to cut the Cardinals lead to 6-1.
- Louisville sealed the win in the bottom half of the frame with a three-run inning to walk off with the 9-1 victory.
FOLLOW NKU NORSE SOFTBALL
Get in the game and follow Northern Kentucky's NCAA Division I softball team through @NKUNorseSB on Twitter, @nkunorsesb on Instagram, nkunorsesball on Facebook and subscribe to the NKU Norse Youtube channel.
