HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - When the Northern Kentucky University softball team visits the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis University for doubleheaders this weekend, the Norse will have a chance to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
NKU - which has won eight consecutive games - is 31-11 overall after sweeping a non-conference doubleheader from Marian (Ind.) College on Saturday. The Norse are 13-3 in the GLVC and currently tied for first place with Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, but NKU can wrap up the No. 1 seed and right to host the GLVC Tournament by sweeping both Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis this weekend.
If NKU wins all four games, it will earn the No. 1 seed in the GLVC Tournament due to the conference tiebreakers. The Norse play at Wisconsin-Parkside at 1 p.m. Saturday, and they will conclude the road trip with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lewis on Sunday.
Before hitting the road, NKU will play host to the College of Mount St. Joseph at 3 p.m. Thursday in a non-conference doubleheader.
Freshman pitcher Krystal Lewallen finished with a career-high 17 strikeouts Saturday to pick up her 15th victory as NKU outlasted Marian, 3-2, in 13 innings. Lewallen, a graduate of South Oldham High School, went the distance and improved to 15-5 this season.
Lewallen leads the GLVC with 166 strikeouts and also has a 0.58 earned run average. She needs five victories to become just the second 20-game winner in Norse softball history. The only other 20-game winner in NKU history is Emily Breitholle, who posted a 20-5 record last season.
Sophomore catcher Megan Owens leads NKU in hitting with a .341 batting average. Owens also has a team-leading 10 doubles, and she ranks No. 2 on the team in runs batted in with 24.
Sophomore first baseman Angie Lindeman is batting .320 with eight doubles and a team-leading 27 RBI. Senior catcher Kristin Koors leads the team with two home runs, and she also has eight doubles and 18 RBI.
Angie Lindeman