The Northern Kentucky University softball team traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside to play two conference games April 22.

In the opener, a controversial play ended the game.

In the third inning, UW-P scored its only run on a fielding error. In the seventh inning, Ricki Rothbauer singled, followed by two walks. Then, Amanda Smith stepped up to the plate.

She hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Rothbauer managed to score on the play, and because of a bad throw home, Heather Cotner score as well.

But, after the play, the umpires called obstruction on Smith for running in to the first baseman. The obstruction happened before anyone scored, so the runs didn’t count and that made three outs.

The Rangers won the game 1-0. In the nightcap, Cotner slammed a two run homer in the first inning to take the lead. In the third inning, Rachele Vogelpohl had an RBI double making the score 3-0.

Pitcher Candace White held UW-P until the fifth inning, when the Rangers scored two runs.

After they scored, Smith went in for White. Shatona Campbell had an RBI single in the sixth inning to seal the win 4-2 over UWP.

NKU went to Lewis University where the team split with the Flyers.

In the opener, Campbell and Jenny Weis each smashed home runs in the twelfth inning to win the game.

In the second inning, LU took the lead when Ashley LeGrand had an RBI single and Amy Yusko hit a two-run homer.

NKU had a rally inning in the fifth when Katy-Beth Coode started it off with a two-run home run, and Cotner hit a hard grounder up the middle earning one RBI, tying the score 3-3.

In the sixth, the Flyers took the lead back with scoring one run, but NKU’s Cotner hit a two-out, solo home run in the seventh, forcing extra innings. In the 12th inning,

Campbell had a solo home run and Weis had a first career two-run home run to take the lead 7-4 over LU. Pitcher Amanda Smith, shut down the Flyers in the bottom of the twelfth inning to take the victory.

In the nightcap, NKU managed to score six runs with a two-run homer by Cotner, but LU bounced back with an offensive attack scoring 18 runs in five innings. Mallory Paine and Kelly Dianis each had home runs to contribute to the win.

NKU is 31-17 overall and 11-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The team will host Quincy University on Saturday and will play its final regular season game April 29 against the University of Missouri-St. Louis.