The Northern Kentucky University softball team opens its season-ending five-game home stand on Tuesday when the Norse welcome Miami (Ohio) to the Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m., with both games broadcast on ASun.TV.
The Norse were swept in a three-game series at ASunSoftball leader USC Upstate last weekend.The Spartans proved their dominance over league opponents, holding the Norse to just a single run scored over the weekend set to close out Upstate’s regular season.
Dani Devlin is looking to break out of her 0-for-17 slump and return to form during midweek action. The sophomore still stands as NKU’s leading hitter at .337 – almost 100 points better than her 2014 average – and looks to improve upon that number this weekend.
Kate Bartolovich will look to put a cap on a strong freshman campaign over the next five games. The freshman ranks second in batting on the team with a .292 average and a .360 on-base percentage.
Paige McQueen was strong last week in non-conference play, picking up three hits against Marshall. McQueen has rapped hits in seven of her last eight non-conference games, including two-hit performances against Morehead State and Marshall.
Sydney Ferrante reached base in 15 of 16 games leading up to last weekend’s series at USC Upstate. The shortstop posted a team-best .473 on-base percentage over the span with 14 hits and 12 bases on balls, scoring 11 runs and driving in four more.
NKU has improved in virtually every offensive statistical category over 2014’s totals with five games remaining. The Norse have scored more runs, collected more hits and more extra-base hits, drawn more walks, struck out less and committed fewer errors than last year’s campaign, while equaling that season’s win total with five games remaining.
Stetson joined the ranks of teams qualified for next week’s ASun Softball Championship. Now three teams – Jacksonville, Florida Gulf Coast and Northern Kentucky – are left to vie for the final slot in the six-team bracket. Jacksonville and NKU will face off in a three-game series this weekend, while FGCU hosts Lipscomb to close out the regular season.
Miami swept a pair of conference series over the weekend to enter Tuesday’s meeting with momentum. Miami took two 10-inning victories over Akron before soundly defeating Ohio to bring a 29-20 record to Highland Heights. Tiyona Marshall leads the charge offensively, batting .448 with 43 runs scored and 14 stolen bases, while Taylor Shuey adds 31 RBIs to a .320 batting average.
Amber Logemann gets the lion’s share of work in the circle, producing a 24-9 record with a 1.59 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 198.1 innings.
The Norse will close out the 2015 regular season with a three-game series against Jacksonville. The action will begin Friday with a doubleheader, followed by Senior Day on Saturday. First pitch each day is scheduled for 1 p.m., with Saturday’s contest broadcast on ASun.TV.
From NKU Athletics