Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Highland Heights, Ky.- The UW-Parkside softball team was eliminated from the GLVC Tournament race thanks to a tough doubleheader sweep at the hands of Northern Kentucky University. The second-place Norse scored the final four runs of game one to win, 4-3. They rode that momentum to score four early runs in the nightcap and hung on for a 4-2 win. The Rangers outhit the Norse on the day, 21-14, but left 17 runners on base in falling to 7-13 in conference play.

Game One
The opener was scoreless until the fifth when the bottom of the Rangers order broke through in support of starter Jill Vondrak. Parkside loaded the bases in the fifth with one out to pose the first big threat of the day. After a pop-up, Christine Holthus delivered a two-run single to right to make it 2-0.

The lead increased to three in the next frame when Krista Kelly led off the inning with a double. Natalie Shank then drove in pinch-runner Ashley Nowdomski and the Rangers appeared in control with six outs to go.

Unfortunately the Norse had plenty of life left. A walk and double started the sixth and brought the tying run to the plate. Vondrak retired the next two hitters with just one run coming in on a ground-out and nearly got out of the inning. But Emily Schwaeble evened things up with a booming home run to left-center, her seventh of the year, and knot the score at 3-3.

After Parkside went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, Northern Kentucky came up and delivered the big swings. Jessica Farris delivered a two-out single to drive in the winning run and steal the win from the Rangers.

Nicki Ekstrom and Lexi Sotiros each had two hits in the opener.

Game Two
Parkside was chasing from the start in the nightcap as NKU scored a pair of runs in both the first, and third, innings. Farris was in the middle of things again delivering a double and run scored in each of those innings.

The Rangers offense threatened all night long but couldn't come up with enough big hits. Parkside got a runner to second base or better in every inning but was just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

Ashley Sullivan delivered the first run with a two-out hit in the fourth to cut the deficit to three. Kelly knocked in Kirsten Luevano, who had doubled, to make it 4-2.

But that was all the Rangers could muster as they left three runners on in the final two innings. They wasted a big day from Meg McCormick as well who went 4-for-4 with three doubles but was stranded three times. Sullivan, Ekstrom, and Sotiros all had two hits as the Rangers pounded out 13 for the game.

Thanks to Southern Indiana's sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan, the Rangers have been mathematically eliminated from their chances of gaining the final tournament spot. They could potentially finish in a virtual tie with both Southern Indiana and Rockhurst but could not match those teams' win percentage.

They will wrap up their weekend trip with a pair of games at Indianapolis on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. central time.