Ricki Rothbauer doubled to win Game 1

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Something had to give Saturday afternoon when Northern Kentucky University played host to Lewis in a Great Lakes Valley Conference softball showdown.

Lewis, the defending GLVC Tournament champion, entered the doubleheader having won seven straight games. NKU, meanwhile, was riding a season-opening 28-game win streak and owned a No. 2 national ranking in the latest Division II poll.

When it was all over Saturday, NKU was still unbeaten, and the Norse had become just the 13th team in NCAA Division II softball history to win 30 consecutive games in a season.

Ricki Rothbauer’s run-scoring double with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning gave NKU a 2-1 walk-off victory in the opener. The Norse later completed the sweep with a 10-0 win in the nightcap to improve to 30-0 overall, 6-0 in the GLVC.

In the first game, Becky Napier led off the ninth with a single and moved to second on a one-out single by Megan Owens. Napier was replaced by pinch-runner Sarah Newland at second base, and Rachele Vogelpohl popped up to catcher Kalynn Russell for the second out.

That brought Rothbauer to the plate, who lined a Shannon Roney pitch over the head of right fielder Carla Musillo to drive in Newland with the winning run.

NKU starter Krystal Lewallen pitched nine innings and struck out nine to improve to 16-0 this season. Lewallen gave up an unearned run in the sixth inning and has now gone 98 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

In the second game, Rothbauer went 3-for-3 with four RBI as NKU coasted to the 10-0 victory. The Norse jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning and sealed the victory with a six-run outburst in the fourth.

Rothbauer’s three-run triple highlighted the fourth inning for NKU. Rothbauer also extended her hitting streak to 14 consecutive games. Vogelpohl and Stephanie Leimbach each added two hits and two runs for the Norse.

Senior pitcher Emily Breitholle allowed two hits and struck out four to pick up the win in the nightcap. Breitholle is now 10-0 this season.

NKU will play host to Wisconsin-Parkside at noon Sunday. The Norse are 10 victories shy of tying the longest win streak (40) in NCAA Division II history, which was set by Kennesaw State in 1995.