HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Sara Becker’s sixth-inning single drove in Stephanie Leimbach with the go-ahead run Friday and lifted the Northern Kentucky University softball team to a 2-1 victory over Lewis University in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament.
With the score tied at 1-1, Leimbach led off the bottom of the sixth with a bunt single. She advanced to second when Angie Lindeman put down a sacrifice bunt, and Becky Napier followed with another sacrifice to put Leimbach on third with two outs.
Becker stepped to the plate and hit a hard liner up the middle that Lewis pitcher Mary Jaszczak partially deflected, but the ball skidded into center field and Leimbach scored the go-ahead run.
NKU starter Krystal Lewallen made the lead stand by retiring Lewis in order in the top of the seventh. She struck out Kristy Vanek to end the contest and became the first 30-game winner in Norse softball history.
Lewallen, who allowed an unearned run in seven innings, upped her record to 30-3 this spring. She finished with five strikeouts and scattered five hits en route to her 29th complete game of the season.
NKU, the top seed in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional, improved to 53-5. The Norse advanced to Saturday’s championship round and need just one victory to win their first-ever Great Lakes Regional championship and a trip to the national finals in Altamonte Springs, Fla., May 13-16.
NKU will meet either second-seeded Lewis (45-12) or third-seeded Grand Valley State University (35-7) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Lewis and Grand Valley State will play at 10 a.m. Saturday in an elimination game, and the winner will have to beat NKU twice to claim the Great Lakes Regional title.
If NKU loses on Saturday, a final game will be played at noon on Sunday.
Lewis held a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of fifth inning, but Becker led off with a single. Megan Reed entered as a pinch-runner for Becker and advanced to second when Heather Cotner singled to left field.
Rachele Vogelpohl followed with a grounder to second baseman Elaina Ktistou, who threw home in an attempt to knock off the runner. Reed, however, slid in just ahead of the tag by catcher Kalynn Russell and tied the game at 1-1.
Lewallen retired Lewis in order in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for Becker in the bottom of the inning.
NKU is ranked No. 5 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll.
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Sara Becker |