NKU softball made a historic turnaround in the Horizon League tournament that ended on Sunday.
The defending champs lost their tournament opener, but won a school record of five games in a row right after that. This left the Norse needing back to back wins on the same day to secure another Horizon League championship and a berth into the NCAA tournament.
The first game against the Cleveland State Vikings on Sunday was a back and forth contest. NKU would get the scoring started in this game with a three-run third inning. Cleveland State would answer in the bottom of that inning scoring a run of their own. The Norse would knock in another run in the sixth inning off of an RBI single from Mack Brow, only to have the game tied by Cleveland State in the bottom of that same inning off a three-run homer by Becky Hurosky.
NKU would reclaim the lead in the top of the seventh inning off a Trinity Robertson hit that rolled right through the middle of the diamond. This led to pitcher Lauryn Hicks and the Norse squad capping off a 5-4 victory after keeping Cleveland State scoreless in the bottom of the seventh inning to punch their ticket to the Horizon League championship game.
In the deciding game for the Horizon League title, NKU would need to beat that very same Cleveland State team once again to secure their spot in history.
The Norse would strike first again in this game as Sydni Barnes gave NKU a 1-0 lead to start. Cleveland State would find an answer in the bottom of the third inning in a Brooke Albaugh homerun to tie the game at one.
It would be all Cleveland State from there as a five-run fifth inning gave the Vikings a 6-1 edge. The Norse’s bats would go cold from that point and the Norse’s storybook tournament run ended just short of another championship.
The effort of the Norse did not go unnoticed, as pitchers Sydni Barnes and Lauryn Hicks joined outfielders Ella LeMonier and Olivia Pastin, earning all-tournament team honors. The Norse end their season with a record of 27-22 and a conference record of 14-10.