HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team will play host to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville at noon this Saturday in a battle of nationally ranked teams.
NKU - ranked No. 8 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll - is 38-2 overall, 10-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. SIUE, ranked No. 17 nationally, is 28-12 overall, 10-2 in the GLVC.
NKU will also play host to the University of Missouri-St. Louis at noon Sunday. The Norse are in sole possession of first place in the GLVC going into this weekend.
NKU’s 38 victories are the most in school history. The Norse, who enter Saturday with a 13-game winning streak, are currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll.
Norse sophomore pitcher Krystal Lewallen leads the GLVC in victories (22), earned run average (0.23 ERA), strikeouts (194), innings pitched (151.2) and shutouts (11). Her 22 victories are an NKU single-season record, and she broke her own mark for strikeouts in a season last weekend with 194.
Junior pitcher Emily Breitholle (10-1 this season) tossed a four-hit shutout last Saturday to lead NKU to a 2-0 win at the University of Southern Indiana. Breitholle’s shutout was the first thrown against Southern Indiana at home since April 14, 2001.
Breitholle now has 43 career wins and ranks No. 2 on the NKU all-time victories list. Amy Serraino is NKU’s all-time career leader with 52 victories.
Junior center fielder Stephanie Leimbach ranks No. 2 in the GLVC in batting average at .406. Leimbach has also scored 29 runs and has six doubles.
Sophomore second baseman Ricki Rothbauer is No. 1 in the GLVC with seven triples, and she is No. 2 in runs scored with 33. Rothbauer is also batting .364 this spring.
Junior first baseman Angie Lindeman ranks No. 2 in the GLVC with 38 runs batted in. Lindeman, who is batting .323, is No. 4 in the GLVC with 10 doubles.
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Krystal Lewallen |