Gallery: Norse split double header with Youngstown State

The NKU softball team split a double header with Youngstown State Wednesday afternoon at Frank Idnatius Grein Field. The Norse improve to 10-26 and 4-7 in Horizon League play while the Penguins are 17-23 and 5-6 in league play.

The rubber match of the three game series starts at noon on Thursday. A win for the Norse would put them in a tie for sixth in the Horizon League standings with the Penguins. 

Game 1: NKU 9 YSU 0

Charlie Nolen pitched a complete game shutout against the Penguins in game one, allowing just one hit, striking out four and walking four batters. Nolen improves to 4-7 on the season.

She would have plenty of run support behind her.

The Norse took control in the first inning, when Dani Devlin hit a sacrifice fly to score Toree Stalter. Later in the inning, Sydney Ferrante scored on a groundball to second base from Paige McQueen to give the Norse a 2-0 lead.

The Norse struck again in the fourth inning, when Alina Maher scored on a sacrifice fly from Stalter. RBI singles from Ferrante and Devlin extended the Norse lead to 5-0.

In the sixth inning, Ferrante doubled to score Kailey Rossiter and Zahyra McFarland. Devlin would then homer to right field to score Ferrante and give the Norse a 9-0 lead.

Devlin went 2-3 with four RBI and a run scored while Ferrante went 2-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.  

Hannah Lucas recorded the only hit for the Penguins. Maddi Lusk would take the loss for the Penguins, pitching just 4.0 innings and giving up five hits and five runs. 

Game 2: YSU 6 NKU 4

Norse starting pitcher Ashlynn Roberts was outstanding for the majority of this game, giving up no runs before the seventh inning. Penguins starting pitcher Caitlyn Minney wasn’t far behind, giving up only one run prior to the final inning

A Devlin homer put the Norse up 1-0 in the fifth inning and heading into the bottom of the inning it appeared that would be enough to win the game.

The seventh inning proved to be disastrous for the Norse however. Roberts gave up a run on an illegal pitch and then gave up a single to Tatum Christy that scored Lusk. Roberts would fail to record an out in the inning and was replaced on the mound by Nolen.

She wouldn’t fair much better, allowing a two run home run to pinch hitter Elizabeth Birkbeck to give the Penguins a 4-1 lead. Taylor Ginther would come in to relieve Nolen and gave up a two run home run to Brittney Moffatt to make the score 6-1. Ginther would guide the Norse out of the inning.

The Norse attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh when Maher hit a three run home run to cut the Penguin lead to two. That’s as close as the Norse would get though, as Minney would close out the Norse.