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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information NKU-SVSU box score | NKU-PBAU box score KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team scratched together a win in it’s first extra-inning game of the season on Wednesday, defeating Saginaw Valley State, 2-1, in eight innings. In a scoreless game through seven complete frames, the Cardinals pushed across their first run of the game when Ashley Coffin hit a soft roller to second base, where NKU’s Rose Broderick fielded and came home, but was not in time to retire Shannon McLaughlin, who started the inning at second base, per the international tiebreaker rule. After April Ehlers worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the inning, the Norse came in to hit. Gretchen Lorenz started the inning off by sacrificing Caroline Snyder, running for Ehlers, to third base. Jessica Farris then brought Snyder in to tie the game on a bloop single to left field that glanced off Marsha Beaubein’s glove, allowing Farris to take second. With one out in the frame, Stephanie West stepped up to sacrifice Farris over to third in order to give NKU a chance to win it with a runner on third. However, the throw to put her out was dropped by the Cardinal first baseman, allowing Farris to wheel around third and score to give the Norse the victory. Ehlers (5-4) allowed just two hits and struck out 10 batters in the victory, including seven in a row at one point, without surrendering an earned run. Jessica Farris had a 2-for-3 game, including a run scored and an RBI. The Norse followed with a disappointing 1-0 loss at the hands of Palm Beach Atlantic in the nightcap. In the fourth inning Abbey Shipman singled in Becca Bolinger, who doubled with one out, to represent the game’s only scoring. The NKU bats were silent until the sixth inning, when Gretchen Lorenz broke up the no-hit bid with a sharp single through the right side. Amanda Smith followed with a rip through the left side to put a runner in scoring position, but a great catch in left field by PBA’s Chris Donovan ended the threat. The Norse got in business again in the seventh when Cara Parker roped a single to center field. Rose Broderick followed up with a seeing-eye single up the middle and took second base when the Sailfish tried to get the runner on third base. Disaster struck, however, as Ehlers’ squeeze-bunt attempt lined straight to PBA pitcher Ashley Jones, who doubled off Snyder, running for Parker at third, to end the game. Chelsie Roy (3-2) had a strong pitching performance, surrendering one run on six hits while picking up three strikeouts. NKU (8-6) returns to action in the early hours of Thursday morning, taking on Wheeling Jesuit and Ferris State. |
