Tim DownerRENSSELAER, Ind. – Becky Napier went 3-for-3 and drove in a run Saturday as the Northern Kentucky University softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Saint Joseph’s College with a 2-0 victory in the nightcap.
Sara Becker was 2-for-4 with an RBI as the Norse improved to 43-3 overall, 15-1 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Sarah Newland (7-0) tossed the complete-game shutout and finished with five strikeouts.
Napier is now hitting .248 with a homerun and 14 RBI.
Becker ups her average to .262 with three home runs and 14 RBI on the season.
In the opener, NKU pitcher Krystal Lewallen upped her record this season to 24-2 as the Norse posted a 7-0 victory.
Lewallen, who now has 40 victories in two years at NKU, struck out eight batters and notched her 13th shutout of the spring.
Jennifer Schamp went 4-for-4 to pace the NKU offense, and Angie Lindeman added two RBI.
Ricki Rothbauer and Napier each went 2-for-4 with a double for the Norse, who are ranked No. 5 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II poll.
The Lady Norse were supposed to host Indianapolis in a double-header on Sunday, but the games were rained out.
The Norse are in sole possession of first place in the GLVC, and they’re one-half game ahead of second-place Lewis University.
NKU is also ranked No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll.
If the Norse maintain that ranking, they will play host to the Great Lakes Region Tournament May 6-9.
NKU then expects to advance to the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row.
The Lady Norse concluded their regular season schedule at home with a double-header against West Virginia State yesterday.
*Article by Sports Information Kyle Burch contributed