INDIANAPOLIS - Krystal Lewallen hurled a four-hit shutout and picked up 10 strikeouts Wednesday as the Northern Kentucky University softball team defeated the University of Indianapolis, 6-0, to clinch the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
Lewallen, a sophomore from Crestwood, Ky., did not allow a walk and improved to 26-2 this season. It was her 15th shutout of the spring, and she now has a 42-11 career record at NKU.
Stephanie Leimbach went 2-for-4 and scored three runs for NKU in the opener. Angie Lindeman, Becky Napier and Jennifer Schamp each added two hits and two runs batted in.
Lindeman’s two-run double in the third inning gave NKU a 3-0 lead. Schamp added a two-run double in the seventh to extend the Norse’s advantage to 6-0, and Lewallen finished off Indianapolis in the bottom of the inning for the complete-game victory.
In the nightcap, Schamp’s RBI single in the sixth inning snapped a 1-1 tie and gave NKU a 2-1 win and a sweep of the doubleheader. Emily Breitholle scattered eight hits in seven innings and improved to 14-1 this season with the victory.
Breitholle, a junior from Hamilton, Ohio, owns a 47-13 career record at NKU. She needs just five victories to tie Amy Serraino for the Norse’s all-time record for career wins (52).
Sara Becker went 3-for-3 for NKU, which improved to 47-3 overall, 19-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Norse - winners of nine straight games - are ranked No. 5 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll and No. 1 in the Great Lakes Region poll.
NKU will open play in the GLVC Tournament at noon this Friday against eighth-seeded Quincy University. The GLVC Tournament is being held in East Peoria, Ill.
NKU is seeking its first GLVC Tournament championship. The winner of the GLVC Tournament will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Pairings for the NCAA Division II Tournament will be announced next Monday (May. 3). If NKU maintains its No. 1 ranking in the Great Lakes Region poll, the Norse will play host to the NCAA Tournament May 6-9.
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Krystal Lewallen |