Lock Haven Box
Edinboro Box

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Sophomore hurler Kelli Bornander tossed a six-hit shutout to start the day, while the Northern State University offense lit up the opposing pitching staff in the night cap as the Wolves tallied a Sunday sweep over Lock Haven University and Edinboro University on Day 3 of NSU's swing through the Rebel Spring Games.

The wins mark the first back-to-back wins of the 2010 season for the Wolves, who are now 3-7 on the season. 

In Game 1, the Wolves backed up a strong Bornander performance with just one run offensively, but made several key defensive plays to stay on top.  NSU was able to manufacture its lone run of the game in the second inning.  Sophomore Ashley Gabler drew a 1-out walk and moved up to second with her third stolen base of the season.  After a hard-hit line-out off the bat of Michelle Stratton, freshman catcher Kelsey Robling stepped to the plate and dropped an RBI single into right-center to score Gabler from second.

That run would prove to be the game-winner, as the Wolves' defense clamped down on every LHU attempt to generate some offense.  The Bald Eagles, who were receiving votes in the NFCA preseason top 25 poll, had at least one base-runner in every inning but the third.  Bornander, however, notched three strikeouts and induced an inning-ending double-play in the top of the fourth to thwart any attempt at a come-back.

With the win, Bornander now owns two of NSU's three wins on the season.

Game two was a reversal of roles for the Wolves.  Despite giving up a 2-run homer to start the first inning, the Wolves repaid in kind, sending seven batters to the plate before recording an out in their half of the first.  Sophomore Brooke Norris started the rally by legging out a slap-bunt single and picked up the Wolves' fifth hit of the inning when she stretched a slap single to left into a double when EU failed to cover second base.

The Fighting Scots finally capped the outburst temporarily, but immediately let the Wolves off the hook in the second inning with a throwing error that allowed sophomore Brittany Huback to reach safely.  Sophomore Whitney Luhring and junior Kelley Suggs followed with walks to load the bases and spell the end of EU starter Amanda Shields.

That pitching change failed to stem the tide, however, as NSU starter Rachel South aided her own cause with a 1-out singles that scored both Huback and Luhring.

Staked to a comfortable 8-2 advantage after the first two innings, South and the NSU defense worked through the next three innings with flawless defense.  South also worked her way out of a fifth inning mini-jam, allowing back-to-back singles with two outs, but used a hard-hit line-out to end the threat.

Edinboro did manage to reclaim three runs off of Suggs, who came on in relief in the top of the sixth, then added one more in the top of the seventh, but the junior left-hander held off the rally to preserve the win.

Offensively, Norris went 4-for-4 from the plate for the Wolves, while Luhring and South each collected a pair of hits in that game.

NSU will take Monday off before returning to the field on Tuesday for another two games against Chestnut Hill and Charleston.