ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Kara Lorenz snapped a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the top of the ninth inning Sunday as the Northern Kentucky University softball team defeated Lewis University, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader.
Emily Breitholle allowed just five hits and picked up the complete-game shutout for NKU, which bounced back from a 1-0, eight-inning loss to Lewis in the opener. The Norse improved to 35-13 overall, 15-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Crystal Wilson led off the ninth inning with a double, and she advanced to third on Kristin Koors’ sacrifice bunt. After Amanda Davidson was intentionally walked, Lorenz followed with an RBI single up the middle.
Davidson scored an insurance run later in the inning on an error by Lewis first baseman Stacy Davis, and Breitholle finished off the Flyers in the bottom of the inning to give NKU the split.
NKU also clinched the No. 2 seed in this week’s GLVC Tournament, which will be hosted by regular-season champion Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. The Cougars (39-9 overall, 17-3 GLVC) clinched the No. 1 seed with a pair of wins at Saint Joseph’s College on Sunday.
NKU will meet seventh-seeded University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the first round of the double-elimination GLVC Tournament this Friday. The winner of that game will meet either No. 3 seed Lewis or No. 6 seed University of Indianapolis in the second round Friday.
In the opener Sunday, Sarah Straughn’s pinch-hit double in the bottom of the eighth inning drove in Amy Roberts with the winning run as Lewis posted a 1-0 victory. Lewis is 26-18 overall, 15-5 in the GLVC.
NKU earned the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament due to its two wins over the University of Southern Indiana. Lewis split with Southern Indiana this season, and the Lady Eagles were the descending-order tiebreaker in the GLVC standings.
Emily Breitholle