NKU 5, UIndy 4
PEORIA, Ill.- A four-run seventh inning proved to be too little too late for UIndy in the first round of the GLVC Softball Championships, with the No. 3 Greyhounds dropping their opening-round game 5-4 at the hands of the No. 6 Northern Kentucky Norse.
Northern Kentucky opened scoring in the top of the first, with the Norse's Amanda Smith reaching on a one-out double. Smith went to third on a wild pitch and came in to score on two-out single to right field from Cara Parker.
UIndy managed just a trio of runners combined in the first four innings, with
Jamie Keltz leading off the first inning with a walk, and
Cat Sampson reaching on a hit by pitch in the second.
Jenny Swanson took a walk with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but ended the inning at second base as she was caught stealing.
NKU plated four runs in the fifth, with all four coming around via the long ball. The Norse's Shatona Campbell sent a shot just over the right field fence that scored three with one out, and Sam Del Vecchio took
Megan Russell long again with two outs to score the fourth run of the inning.
Russell led off the seventh with a basehit through the leftside to break up the no-hitter, and
Ashley Boxley followed with a single that fell just inside the rightfield line. A
Jenny Swanson walk juiced the bases for
Jessica Breeden, who answered the challenge with a grand slam to dead center to bring the Greyhounds within one with no outs. Sampson followed with a single through the middle to knock NKU hurler April Ehlers out of the game with still no one out in the seventh.
Carmen Martinez continued the UIndy hit parade with a single through the right side.
Keltz came to the plate with one out and two on and sent a line shot to the thirdbase side that Norse thirdbaseman Parker was just able to jump for, doubling Sampson off with a toss to second to give NKU the 5-4 win.
Russell took the loss, falling to 13-8 on the year. She struck out 12 NKU batters and walked one while surrendering five hits and five earned runs.
The Greyhounds await the score of the Missouri-St. Louis/Missouri-S&T matchup, which starts at 12 p.m. UIndy will play the loser of that game at 2 p.m.
