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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information QUINCY, Ill. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team finished its conference road trip with a 3-1 record after splitting a doubleheader with Quincy on Sunday afternoon. The Norse dropped the first game, 7-4, before rebounding for a 10-5 victory in the nightcap. Things got rough for the Norse early. After back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the first, Sarah LoBue cashed in with an RBI double to take the 1-0 lead. The Hawks exploded for five runs in the second after RBI singles from Emily Clark and Melissa Sommerfield. Consecutive Norse errors allowed three more runs across unearned to dig a 6-0 hole. NKU started climbing out in the next half-inning. Sydney Doyle and Rose Broderick each singled to open the frame, with Doyle coming in after a fielding error. After Cara Parker walked, Shatona Campbell smacked her sixth double of the year to drive in Broderick. Amanda Smith followed up with a sacrifice fly to bring Parker in. Jenny Weis's second double on the season brought in Campbell to cut the lead to 6-4. It was all the damage the Norse would do however, as pitcher Sarah Ormond faced the minimum through the game's final four innings. Ormond (5-3) gave up five hits and picked up two strikeouts in the win. Smith (7-5) took the loss, striking out five in six innings of work. Smith opened up the scoring in game two with style, sending a Korby Paul pitch over the left field wall for her first home run of the year. The Norse manufactured their second run in the third, when Broderick doubled to right to lead off the inning. After Parker sacrificed her to third, Shatona Campbell brought her in with a sacrifice fly. NKU picked up three more in the fourth on a Doyle single to bring in Becky Napier, and Broderick's two-run single to score Doyle and Amber Gregory. After retiring the first nine hitters, Quincy finally found an answer for Candace White in the bottom of the fourth, picking up three runs, two unearned, to cut the lead to two. The Norse would not let Quincy back in it, though, scoring four in the fifth, including Smith's second home run of the game, this one a two run shot. Doyle picked up another RBI single, while Broderick earned her sixth RBI of the weekend on a bases-loaded walk. Jasmyn Wentland had a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth, but Broderick came through again in the top of the seventh with an RBI single to right to get the 10-5 final score. Broderick had a 3-for-4 game with four RBI to lead the Norse offensively. Smith equaled her 2006 home run total in one game, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. Weis and Doyle also went 2-for-4 at the plate in game two. White (8-3) picked up the win in the circle, scattering four hits and striking out two. NKU moved to 16-8 on the season and 3-1 in the GLVC, sharing the league's top spot with Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's. NKU travels to Columbus to take on Ohio Dominican Thursday before opening the home portion of their schedule this weekend against Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside. Each doubleheader is scheduled for a noon first pitch. GAME 1 BOX SCORE GAME 2 BOX SCORE |
