Northern Kentucky University’s Softball Team swept the University of Missouri-St. Louis March 17, and notched two more wins on its belt for this season.
Senior infielder Becky Napier brought her bat to the game with a 2 for 3 performance with 5 RBIs including a three-run-homer.
The Norse cruised to a 9-3 win in the first game behind the arm of sophomore pitcher, Amanda Smith.
Smith was 3 for 4 from the plate with 2 RBIs of her own, and shortstop Rose Broderick was 3 for 5 from the plate with one of the Norse’s nine RBIs.
UMSL’s three runs came in the bottom of the sixth, when NKU couldn’t get out with four walks on the day to her credit.
The second game of the double-header came with a closer contest.
The Norse came out hitting, and jumped to a 2-0 lead with Amanda Smith hitting a double to drive in sophomore Shatona Campbell. Smith scored on an UMSL error.
The Riverwomen responded in the bottom of the second inning with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single tying the score at 2-2.
NKU’s sophomore Jenny Weis helped take the lead with a sac fly in the top of the third, then NKU’s sophomore Cara Parker pushed the lead to 4-2 with her RBI single in the top of the fourth.
The Riverwomen came back in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at 4-4.
UMSL took the lead in the fifth, scoring two runs with RBI singles from junior Dana Essner and sophomore Katie Bartlett.
In the seventh inning, the Norse came through when it mattered most, getting an RBI single from freshmen Amber Gregory, and then a two-run double by Broderick to relinquish the lead 7-6.
Smith retired the side for the Norse in the bottom of the seventh and wrapping up the sweep of UMSL.
Broderick was 7-10 in both games combined, and Napier went 2 for 4, but no RBIs to follow up her first game performance of five.
The wins boosted the Norse’s record to 15-7. On March 18, NKU split, losing 7-4 in game one and won game two 10-5, making its record 16-8. The Norse are in a three-way tie with University of Indianapolis and St. Joseph’s College for first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference
The next match-up is a double-header at Ohio Dominican University on March 22 at 3 p.m. The next home game is March 24, a double-header versus conference rival, Lewis University.