A pair of GLVC softball squads have advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division II Softball Championships, and will vie for the Midwest Regional title against each other next weekend. Northern Kentucky and Saint Joseph's will play in a best-of-three series in the Midwest Super Regional next week, with the winner advancing to the Division II World Series in Louisville.
NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL #1
#5 Northern Kentucky 4, #4 Illinois Springfield 3
BOX SCORE | NKU RECAP | UIS RECAP
The five-seeded Norse advanced out of the UIndy Midwest Regional #1 with a 4-3 win over #4 Illinois Springfield Sunday.
Northern Kentucky (38-19) plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, on a Kari Lang single to the centerfield. The Prairie Stars (36-21) tied the ballgame in the top of the fifth, on a Rachel Wood double to left centerfield.
Illinois Springfield took the lead in the top of the sixth, plating a pair of runs on three hits. A Tina Buck single to right field brought home both runs, giving UIS the 3-1 lead.
The Norse put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Emily Schwaeble sending a solo homerun to centerfield to lead off the frame. Natalie Papi double to right center scored another run, with Dee Dee Davis plating the final NKU run on a single down the leftfield line.
Schwaeble (24-6) earned the victory, striking out six. Heather Gradishar (15-8) suffered the loss, striking out one. Lang and Papi each had a pair of hits for the Norse, while Sarah Gray, Wood and Samantha Inman all had two hits for the Prairie Stars.
NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL #2
#7 Saint Joseph's 5, #3 Ashland 1
BOX SCORE | SJC RECAP
The Pumas beat the Eagles for the second time in as many days to advance to the NCAA Midwest Regional final. Saint Joseph's bested Ashland 5-1 Sunday to continue its season.
Seven-seed SJC plated two runs in the top of the first to take the early lead. A Stephanie Winter double down the leftfield line scored the first Puma run, with Shawn Hoskins single to right center pushing the score to 2-0.
The Pumas added another tally in the fifth inning, on a pair of hits. The run scored in the form of Winter on an error in centerfield. A Rachel Weaver two-run homer in the sixth pushed the Saint Joseph's lead to 5-0.
Ashland got its lone run in the bottom of the seventh, on three hits.
Sarah Franklin (16-8) earned the victory. Hoskins had three of Saint Joseph's 10 hits, with Audra Rains adding two more.