
Two members of the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team have requested and received their releases and will transfer to other school’s, head coach John Brannen said Tuesday.
Freshman guard Tayler Persons (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo HS) has decided to transfer from Northern Kentucky along with sophomore Daniel Camps (Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt). Both were released at the conclusion of the men’s basketball season.
In addition, recruit Hagen Tyler (Danville, Ky./Boyle County) has also been released from his National Letter of Intent and will play college basketball at another school.
“We wish Tayler, Hagen and Daniel the best of luck as they pursue other options,” said Brannen.
Brannen replaced Dave Bezold as NKU head men’s basketball coach after Bezold was fired in March.
Ferrante extends on-base streak, but Norse drops pair of softball decisions
Sydney Ferrante extended her on-base streak to a team-high nine games as the Northern Kentucky University softball team fell in both ends of a doubleheader at IUPUI on Tuesday, losing by scores of 5-2 and 7-3.
Ferrante reached on a walk and scored in Game 1 and claimed three hits in Game 2 as the Norse fell to 5-29 overall. Paige McQueen also picked up hits in both games for the Norse.
In the first game, KC Straley went 2-for-3 with a pair of extra-base hits as the Norse dropped a 5-2 decision in the opener. The Norse combined for six hits, with Paige McQueen adding an RBI on a sacrifice fly to a 1-for-2 game.
Delilah Wright and Taylor Chitwood each had two hits for IUPUI, while Ali Mosier reached base three times and stole three bases. Eryn Dillon drove in three runs in the Jaguars’ effort.
The Norse struck in the top of the first inning for a pair of runs to take an early lead. Straley led the game off with a double and advanced to third base on an illegal pitch from IUPUI’s Brook Boetjer. After Ferrante drew a walk, McQueen lifted a fly ball to centerfield deep enough to score Straley. Ferrante deftly took second on the play, and the throw from IUPUI catcher Eryn Dillon sailed back into the outfield, allowing Ferrante to score as well, giving NKU a 2-0 advantage.
IUPUI responded in the bottom of the third inning when a Morgan Schlobohm infield single led things off. Mosier and Roni Patterson each walked to load the bases and set up Dillon’s sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Schlobohm to cut the Norse lead in half.
A pair of Norse errors allowed the Jaguars to take the lead in the fourth inning.
Dillon closed out the scoring in the fifth inning with a two-run home run to centerfield, scoring Patterson, who singled to lead off the frame.
The Norse threatened in the seventh inning after a one-out triple by Straley and a walk to McQueen put the tying run on base with two outs, but Katelyn Roy flew out to center to end the game. The loss fell to Roberts (3-11), who surrendered three earned runs on nine hits and walked three batters in the complete-game effort.
In the second game, Ferrante picked up three of NKU’s six hits, including a double, scored a run and drove in another in a 7-3 loss in the nightcap. Nine different Jaguars combined for 13 hits, with four player posting two-hit games.
It was IUPUI starting the early scoring, as Dillon laced a single through the right side in the bottom of the first inning to score Wright, who reached on a fielder’s choice when Mosier was tagged out at third after a leadoff walk.
Jazmine Pedrotti added to the Jaguars’ lead with a pinch-hit two-run double in the second inning before NKU responded in the top of the third. Conner started the rally by taking first base on catcher’s interference and scoring on Ferrante’s RBI-double. McQueen followed with an RBI-single to cut the deficit to a single run at 3-2.
Chitwood’s two-run home run in the bottom of the third pushed IUPUI’s advantage back to three runs. Chitwood came back in her next at bat with a triple in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a Schlobohm double to extend the lead to 6-2.
The Norse got a run back on consecutive doubles by Kate Bartolovich and Roberts to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Alex Caudill (2-10) pitched all six innings for the Norse, recording one strikeout.
NKU continues its string of 12 road games in 12 days this weekend, traveling to take on Atlantic Sun Conference foe Stetson for a three-game series. Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. followed by Sunday’s finale at noon.
Windlan scores top-5 in A-Sun Women’s Golf Championship
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Kennedy Windlan opened the final round of the Atlantic Sun Women’s Golf Championship on a torrid pace – birdieing four of the first five holes – to claim Northern Kentucky’s best finish ever, tied-fifth, in the conference tournament.
Opening on the back nine, Windlan sandwiched birdies on the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th around a bogey on the 12th. She closed the back nine going out in 34. Windlan followed a bogey on hole No. 7 with a birdie on No. 8 to close her front nine at even par and post a final-round 70 (-2).
The two-under round was enough to catapult Windlan seven spots up the leaderboard into a two-way tie for fifth. The 70 eclipsed NKU’s previous low in the A-Sun Championship by five strokes, which was recorded by both Windlan and Sarah Kellam last season, and marked Northern Kentucky’s lowest-recorded round this year.
Taylor Wogenstahl did some climbing of her own on the leaderboard, using a final round 76 to earn a share of 24th. The seven spots jumped by both Wogenstahl and Windlan were the biggest upward moves of the day.
Kellam shot an 86 in the final round and finished tied for 32nd. Kristen Smith and Ryleigh Waltz shared 36th after carding final rounds of 79 and 82, respectively.
NKU carded a 941 as a team and finished seventh for the championship, marking the third-straight year in which the Norse improved both their score and result after finishing 10th in 2013 (990) and 8th in 2014 (955). The 941 is the second-best 54-hole total in program history, trailing only this season’s record-setting 921 at the Jackrabbit invitational.
Portz secures second-straight top three finish
OLD HICKORY, Tenn. – Following a record-setting opening day, Northern Kentucky’s Clayton Portz carded a 2-under 70 Tuesday in the final round of Tennessee State’s Big Blue Invitational to earn third place.

This is the second top-3 finish in a row for Portz, who finished second in the Wright State Intercollegiate last weekend. He has also recorded four-straight rounds below par after closing WSU’s tournament at 3-under (69) and posting a line of 65-70-70 in the Big Blue.
Portz’s also broke NKU’s individual 54-hole total record with a 205 for the event, eclipsing current assistant coach David Shearer’s 209 (-7) set at the 2006 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship.
The Norse worked their way to a tie for sixth team finish in the Big Blue with a three-round total of 867, which is the third-lowest 54-hole total in program history.
Matt Wetherill posted NKU’s second-best finish (t-27th) after a final-round 75. Phoenix Ramsey posted a 1-under 71 in the final round to move up into a tie for 53th, while Zach Wright shot a 75 to earn a share of 50th. Jacob Brinker carded a 74 and finished tied-58th.
Northern Kentucky will participate in the 2015 men’s Atlantic Sun Conference Championship at Chateau Elan’s Legend Golf Course in Braselton, Georgia, from April 19-21.
NKU baseball hosts Maryville Wednesday
The Northern Kentucky University baseball team wraps up a five-game homestand on Wednesday as the Norse welcome Maryville (Tenn.) College to the Bill Aker Baseball Complex in a nonconference matchup.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. A link to live stats is available at nku.statbroadcast.com, and John Asalon’s audio broadcast can be found at NKUNorse.com. Fans can also track the game’s progress by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter as well.
NKU fell to 10-21 overall and 0-6 in the Atlantic Sun Conference by dropping a three-game series to Kennesaw State last weekend. Caleb Lonkard went 4-for-6 (.667) from the plate in two appearances against the Owls, recording two doubles, driving in three runs and scoring twice for the Norse.
Cole Bauml collected his nation-leading 24th double of the season and finished 5-for-12 (.417) with a pair of two baggers, three runs scored and two stolen bases, while Trey Ganns batted .400 (4-for-10) with one double, two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.
UP NEXT: NKU opens a nine-game road trip in DeLand, Florida, with a three-game Atlantic Sun series at Stetson. First pitch for Friday’s opener from Melching Field at Conrad Park is set for 6:30 p.m., and Saturday’s matchup will start at 2 p.m. The two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Links to live stats and John Asalon’s audio broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com.
From NKU Athletics