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Ohio Dominican Box | West Chester Box
Clermont, Fla. – In their final day at the NTC Games, the Northern State University softball team defeated Ohio Dominican, 5-2, and fell to No. 10 West Chester, 3-7. The Wolves finish the week with a 7-4 record from Florida and an 11-6 record overall.
 
Game One – Ohio Dominican
 
The Wolves tacked on four runs in the first two innings of play, as Macey Engel and Kelsey Gale each recorded two RBI. Engel doubled down the left field line in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Kalie Maiden and Rachel Albright who had singled and walked in the previous at-bats.
 
Katie Dawson led off the second for NSU with a walk, followed by Lauren Kunz with a one out double to centerfield. Gale scored the two runners in the next at-bat with a single to right field. Northern held the led the entire game, adding another run in the bottom of the fourth off Brittney Lash's second homerun of the season.
 
Kami Smesmo tallied the win for the Wolves, marking her seventh of the season. Smesmo threw a complete seven innings for NSU, tallying six strikeouts.
 
Northern tallied seven hits in the game, off the bats of Kelsey Gale, Kalie Maiden, Rachel Albright, Macey Engel, Michaela Liebl, Brittney Lash, and Lauren Kunz.
 
Game Two – No. 10 West Chester
 
The Wolves fell behind early in game two, as the Golden Rams tallied three runs in the bottom of the first. Northern began chipping away at the West Chester lead in the third inning, led off by Kelsey Gale with an infield single. Gale went on to score off Eryn Yancy's second hit of the game, a double to left.
 
WCU however answered back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the third. NSU fought back in the next two innings adding a run in each, however the Golden Rams broke away scoring three runs in the final innings of play to secure the four run victory.
 
Northern had their opportunities in the game, tallying 11 team hits and leaving nine runners on base. Kelsey Gale, Eryn Yancy, Rachel Albright, and Katelynn Dilts each recorded two hits in the game, while Macey Engel and Brittney Lash notched a hit apiece. Gale, Thielen, and Dilts were the run scorers for the Wolves in the loss.
 
Sophomore Missy Elkins suffered her fourth loss of the season giving up seven earned runs on 11 hits in six innings pitched. Elkins recorded six strikeouts in the game.
 
NSU will remain on the road next weekend as they travel to Missouri Western for the Apple Market Classic. The Wolves are slated to match-up against Washburn University, Missouri Western, Pittsburg State, Missouri Southern, Central Missouri, and Emporia State.