Northern Kentucky Softball Sets NCAA Win Streak Record, Sweeps Eagles
April 27, 2005

By Paul Carmany, AU Sports Information

Complete Box Scores
Game 1         Game 2

A bit of history was made Wednesday (Apr. 27) afternoon at Ashland University’s Brookside Park, but it was not the kind that the Eagles were hoping for. Northern Kentucky, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II national softball poll, swept a doubleheader against AU and now owns the NCAA Division II record for longest winning streak at 42.

The Norse held on for a 2-1 win in the lid-lifter to separate themselves from Kennesaw State on the all-time winning streak list. NKU then took game two, 10-1 in five innings. Northern Kentucky is now 42-0, while Ashland, now on a four-game losing streak, falls to 27-17.

Game one, played on a brisk afternoon, featured both team’s aces as the Eagles sent Jaime Williams to the mound and the Norse countered with Krystal Lewallen. Neither team scored until the fifth inning, when Northern Kentucky broke the ice.

In that pivotal inning, Megan Owens drew a leadoff walk. After Williams retired the next two batters, Stephanie Leimbach reached on a bunt single and took second as pinch runner Michelle Logan took advantage of an unoccupied third base. Angie Lindeman was then intentionally walked to load the bases for cleanup batter Sarah King. On an 0-2 pitch, King looped a single into left field and plated Logan and Leimbach with the game’s first two runs.

Northern Kentucky took that 2-0 advantage into the home half of the seventh inning. With one out, Jennifer Alderson cut the NKU lead in half with a home run to left-center field, breaking up Lewallen’s perfect game. Sara Mathes followed with a bloop single into right field, bringing the winning run to the plate. However, Lewallen buckled down and struck out Nicole Placie and Kelli Williams for her 11th and 12th punchouts of the afternoon, preserving the 2-1 victory.

Williams scattered seven hits and struck out six in a complete game effort while falling to 17-8.

In the nightcap, Northern Kentucky scored a pair of runs in both the first and third innings off of AU starter Sarah Holets. The Eagles then put together their best rally of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Alderson led off the inning with a double and would later score on an RBI single by Kelli Williams to cut Northern Kentucky’s lead to 4-1. AU had a chance to get even closer, putting runners on second and third with one out. Norse hurler Emily Breitholle then struck out Amanda Thomas and Jennifer Pistone to end the Eagle threat.

NKU put the game away with a six-run outburst in the top half of the fifth inning, aided by a pair of AU defensive miscues.

Holets went all five innings for the Eagles, falling to 5-4.

Ashland will return home Friday (Apr. 29) afternoon at 3:30 for an important Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader with Gannon (24-13, 7-5 GLIAC).