Northern Kentucky softball ended its season on Wednesday at Wright State, falling victim to a series sweep at the hands of the Raiders. WSU took the first game of the doubleheader in five innings, 12-3, before shutting out NKU in the series finale, 4-0. The Norse close out the 2017 season with a 14-38 record after going 8-16 in Horizon League play, while Wright State advances to 20-26 (14-7 HL).
Game 1: Wright State 12, NKU 3
At the Plate
· Despite the run ruling, Wright State only had a three-hit edge on the Norse, 13-10.
· Freshman right fielder Kailey Rossiter went 3-for-3, two of which were showcases of the outfielder’s speed with a pair of bunts to advance the runner and reach base without the sacrifice.
· Fellow rookies Ava Lawson and Summer Libecap also had multi-hit games, with Lawson going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Libecap went 2-for-3.
· Junior third baseman Sydney Ferrante drove in a run for the Norse, going 1-for-2 at the plate.
In the Circle
· Senior Paige McQueen got the start for the Norse, absorbing the loss and falling to 1-8 on the season. She tossed 1.2 innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits.
· Junior Ashlynn Roberts came on in relief, pitching 3.0 innings with one strikeout and one batter walked.
Key Moments
· NKU plated the first run of the contest, with Lawson driving in Rossiter off a single up the middle.
· The Raiders answered back with three runs in the bottom of the frame off a pair of RBI singles and an unearned run off an error.
· Wright State went up 8-1 after the second inning with three runs on consecutive at-bats and capped off by a home run to left center.
· WSU plated two more runs in the third before being retired in order in the bottom of the fourth.
· NKU held off the run rule for another half inning with two runs in the top of the fifth, as Ferrante singled to right center to drive in Isabell Alexander before a double from Lawson scored Rossiter.
· Wright State walked off with the victory in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run.
Game 2: Wright State 4, NKU 0
At the Plate
· Wright State had a slight edge in hits, with the Raiders recording eight while the Norse clubbed seven.
· Three Norse posted multi-hit outings, with Taylor Brummell and Paige McQueen going 2-for-3 from the dish while Ferrante was 2-for-3 and drew one walk.
· Lawson was the only other NKU player to record a hit, going 1-for-3.
In the Circle
· Roberts pitched six innings for NKU, allowing four runs on eight hits with one strikeout and five batters walked.
Key Moments
· Wright State scored its first run off an illegal pitch and was held scoreless for the next three frames, including a double play in the fourth before Alina Maher tagged a runner out at home that would have put the Raiders up 2-0 to end the inning.
· The Raiders used an RBI single to take a two-run advantage in the fifth inning.
· An RBI double followed by a sac bunt gave WSU its first multi-run inning of the contest, with the Raiders going up 4-0.
· NKU was unable to muster a hit in the top of the final frame, closing out the game and the series.
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Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University