Amanda Smith

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - Amanda Smith hit a two-run homer to highlight a six-run eighth inning as Northern Kentucky University defeated Wisconsin-Parkside, 7-1, in a loser’s bracket game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Friday.

Sarah King’s two-run single gave NKU a 3-1 lead, and Smith followed by smashing her second home run of the season over the fence in left field. Kara Lorenz capped the inning with a bloop single to right field that plated two runs to extend the Norse’s advantage to 7-1.

Smith picked up the complete-game victory and became just the second freshman in NKU history to reach the 20-win plateau. Emily Breitholle also won 20 games as a freshman for NKU in 2002.

Ricki Rothbauer went 3-for-5 for NKU, while King and Cara Parker each added two hits. Freshman catcher Jenny Weis hit a game-tying home run in the fifth inning for the Norse.

NKU later posted a 3-1 win over Missouri-Rolla in an elimination game. Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run single to lead the Norse. She is now 21-10 this season.

Missouri-Rolla (33-10) had runners on second and third with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but Smith induced Lauren Feltmann to hit a pop fly behind the plate that Weis hauled in just before it landed against the screen.

NKU is 37-18 overall and ranked No. 6 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll. The Norse meet No. 2 seed Southern Indiana at 1 p.m. Saturday in an elimination game.

Southern Indiana enters that game ranked 24th nationally in the Division II poll. The Screaming Eagles are 37-15 overall. NKU and Southern Indiana split a doubleheader earlier this season at Highland Heights, Ky.

Top-seeded Southern Illinois at Edwardsville plays Lewis in the winner’s bracket for a spot in Sunday’s championship round of the double-elimination event. The winner of the GLVC Tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

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