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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information Game 1 box score | Game 2 box score HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team remembers well the pitching performance of Barry's Brianna Smith. Smith threw a no-hitter against the Norse on Feb. 22 in an 8-0 run-rule victory. On Sunday, April Ehlers got her revenge on Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Drury, throwing her first collegiate no-hitter in an 8-0 win. It is the first NKU no-hitter since Krystal Lewallen's 10-strikeout mow-down of Bellarmine on April 16, 2005. A walk in the fourth inning and a dropped fly ball in the fifth inning gave the Panthers their only base runners of the game as Ehlers (7-7) fanned eight batters en route to the win. She was not without help, however, as Rose Broderick broke the game wide open in the second inning with a two-out grand slam, her second long ball of the season. The homer gives her 12 career bombs, just one short of the NKU record set by Krista Eldridge. The Norse got two more runs after Cara Parker's ground ball to shortstop in the third inning was booted away, allowing Ashley Gates and Dani Finley to score before Shatona Campbell cranked out her second home run of the season to stretch the lead to eight. The defense held strong in the game's remaining two frames to preserve the no-no. The strong performances continued into the nightcap as the Norse took a 5-4 triumph to sweep the twin bill. Gates kept the power-hitting display going, opening the scoring with a two-run homer in the second inning to bring in Parker, who singled to lead off the frame. Back-to-back RBI-singles by Jessica Matlock and Kelsea Garthoff in the top of the third leveled the field once more. The Panthers took the lead in the sixth inning on an RBI-single by Amber Hayden before the Norse responded with three in the bottom of the frame on the back of a two-run triple by Campbell, who was driven in one batter later by Sam Del Vecchio. Chelsea Roy (6-4) had a strong pitching performance, scattering nine hits over six innings of work before Ehlers came in relief, giving up an unearned run before closing out the game with three strikeouts in the seventh inning to record her first save. Gates, Del Vecchio and Stephanie West each had two-hit games while Parker scored two runs in the contest. With the sweep, Northern Kentucky improved to 13-11 overall and 3-3 in GLVC play. The Norse close out their six-game home stand on Wednesday when they host Ashland for a key regional doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. |
