YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Northern Kentucky softball program will continue its title defense as the Norse advanced to the second day of the 2024 Horizon League Championships with a thrilling 3-2 victory over IUPUI in the final game of the opening day of the tournament.
NKU will play in another elimination game on Thursday, May 8 at 5 PM ET. The opponent is still to be determined and the conference tourney game will be played in front of a national audience on ESPN+.
THE BASICS – GAME TWO
FINAL: Northern Kentucky – 3, IUPUI – 2 (7 innings)
LOCATION: YSU Softball Complex – Youngstown, Ohio
RECORDS: NKU 23-21 (14-10 HL), IUPUI 13-37 (9-14 HL)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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Ella LeMonier led the way for the Norse on offense with a 1-for-3 day that included both of NKU's RBI in the contest.
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Olivia Pastin added a 1-for-3 outing and her double in the bottom of the sixth set up the deciding run in the victory.
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Lexy Morris came in as a pinch runner and scored the game-winning run on a perfect piece of base running.
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Maddie Lacer recorded NKU's other hits in the game with a 2-for-3 effort.
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Brielle DiMemmo and
Tatum Biddle came around to score for NKU.
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Lauryn Hicks recorded her tenth win of the year in the circle with a complete game. She went all seven innings and allowed just six hits and two earned runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- IUPUI got on the board early with a quick run in both the top of the first and second to take a 2-0 lead.
- The Norse answered right back with a two-run, bottom of the third off a two RBI single by LeMonier to knot things at 2-2.
- Northern Kentucky pushed the go-ahead run across in the bottom of the sixth to take its first lead of the tournament at 3-2. Pastin led things off with a double to right center and was replaced by pinch runner Morris.
- Morris came right off the bench and on the very first pitch, she made an aggressive move to third as the catcher bobbled the ball and then would come around to score on an errant throw to give the Norse the advantage.
- The Jaguars were able to get a runner to second base in the top of the seventh, but the Norse stranded her there to collect the comeback win.
THE BASICS – GAME ONE
FINAL: Northern Kentucky – 2, Robert Morris – 7 (7 innings)
LOCATION: YSU Softball Complex – Youngstown, Ohio
RECORDS: NKU 22-21 (14-10 HL), RMU 19-22 (13-10 HL)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Despite just two runs, the Norse put up eight hits in the contest.
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Ella LeMonier (2-for-4, one run scored),
Mack Brown (2-for-3, one run) and
Olivia Pastin (2-for-3, one walk) all recorded multi-hit efforts.
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Trinity Robertson (1-for-4) and
Sydni Barnes (1-for-2, base on balls) posted the other NKU base knocks.
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Brooklyn Ballis went 6.0 innings in relief with four strikeouts. She allowed five hits and just two earned runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Robert Morris broke the game open with five runs in the top of the first.
- The Colonials added another run in the top of the fourth to take a 6-0 lead.
- RMU added another run of insurance in the top of the seventh and NKU tried to answer back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, but by then the damage was already done as the Colonials collected the victory.
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