NKU’s Becky Napier

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - Becky Napier hit a three-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning as unbeaten and top-ranked Northern Kentucky University rallied to post a 4-2 win over Wisconsin-Parkside in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday.

Wisconsin-Parkside entered the sixth with a 2-1 lead, but Angie Lindeman and Sarah King opened the bottom of the inning with singles. Heather Cotner attempted a sacrifice bunt and reached safely on a fielder’s choice to load the bases for Napier with no outs.

Napier stepped to the plate and hammered a pitch from Kristen Brestan down the left-field line to clear the bases and give NKU a 4-2 lead. Napier, a sophomore shortstop and a native of Lexington, Ky., was named first team All-GLVC earlier on Saturday.

Norse senior center fielder Stephanie Leimbach extended her hitting streak to 29 games with a single. Leimbach’s 29-game hitting streak ranks sixth all-time in NCAA Division II history.

Sara Becker went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Norse, and Rachele Vogelpohl was 2-for-3.

NKU pitcher Krystal Lewallen upped her record to 26-0 after allowing six hits, one earned run and striking out 12 batters. NKU improved to 49-0 - the most consecutive victories in collegiate softball history - and advanced to Sunday’s championship bracket to meet Wisconsin-Parkside in the double-elimination event.

NKU needs just one win on Sunday to capture the GLVC Tournament title. The Norse have never won the GLVC Tournament championship.

The winner of the GLVC Tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. NKU is No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll.