Bloomsburg Box | Kutztown Box | Lees-McRae Box | Bentley Box
Clermont, Fla. – In their second and third days from the National Training Center Games, the Northern State University softball team posted a 2-2 record. NSU recorded wins versus Bloomsburg and Bentley, and fell to Kutztown and Lees-McRae. The Wolves move to 7-5 on the year heading into an off day tomorrow.
 
Game One – Bloomsburg
 
Bloomsburg was on the board first with one earned run off NSU ace Kami Smesmo in the bottom of the first. Smesmo went on to throw seven complete innings for the Wolves, holding the Huskies scoreless in the middle innings.
 
Rachel Albright tied the game up for Northern in the top of the fourth, scoring Kalie Maiden on a sacrifice fly to left. Maiden walked to lead off the inning. Maiden went on to walk for the second time in the top of the sixth inning to start the NSU rally. Northern tallied four runs in the inning, two earned as both Lauren Kunz and Macey Engel nabbed RBIs.
 
Eryn Yancy led the Wolves in the game with two of the team's four hits. Smesmo tallied her fourth win of the season striking out two and giving up seven hits as the Wolves defeated the Huskies 5-2.
 
Game Two – Kutztown
 
Northern was held to three hits in their 0-2 loss versus Kutztown University. Kelsey Gale, Eryn Yancy, and Rachel Albright notched hits for the Wolves.
 
Missy Elkins suffered the loss giving up two earned runs on five hits. The sophomore struck out four, throwing six innings for Northern.
 
Game Three – Lees-McRae
 
The Wolves took the two run lead in the top of the fourth over the Bobcats. Kelsey Gale started the NSU threat with a single up the middle. Gale stole second in the next at-bat moving into scoring position for Kalie Maiden who singled to right center. Maiden matched Gale with a stolen base of her own and the Wolves were in scoring position with runners on second and third. Eryn Yancy continued to swing a hot bat, scoring the junior pair with a double to left center.
The two teams went scores threw the top of the sixth, before LMC answered back in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Kami Smesmo gave up two hits to lead off the, followed by an NSU error and three unearned runs. Kami suffered her second loss of the season, as the Wolves were unable to come back in the top of the seventh.
 
NSU busted out nine hits in the game, leaving seven runners on base. Kelsey Gale, Kalie Maiden, Eryn Yancy, and Katelynn Dilts tallied two hits apiece in the loss, while Courtney Moore recorded one.
 
Game Four – Bentley
 
Northern tallied a season second best 11 hits in their 8-7 victory over Bentley University. Eryn Yancy led NSU with three hits, one run scored, and one RBI in the win. Kalie Maiden notched a career high five RBI knocking her first homerun of the season in the top of the third inning. Maiden's three run jack, put the Wolves on top of the Falcons. The Wolves batted through the lineup in the inning scoring a total of four runs and connecting for three hits.
 
Bentley came back in the bottom of the fourth and fifth for six runs of their own and the lead. Elkins threw three innings for NSU giving up five earned runs off seven hits. Rachel Albright entered for Northern throwing three innings and earning her first run of the season. The sophomore held the Falcons scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings to force extra innings.
 
Down 4-6 in the top of the seventh with two outs, Katelynn Dilts singled to right sparking the NSU comeback. Eryn Yancy scored Dilts on the next at-bat with a double to centerfield. Albright scored pinch runner Michaela Liebl off a single up the middle and an error by the centerfielder. The Wolves had tied the game at six all and were forced to hold the Falcons in the bottom of the inning.
 
For the third time this season, Northern headed to extra innings scoring two runs in the top of the eighth inning. Maiden added her final two RBI of the game scoring the place on second runner, Jess Vernon, and Lauren Kunz who has reached base on a catcher's interference play.
 
Rachel Albright held Bentley to one run in the bottom of the eighth, notching two looking strikeouts and solidifying the NSU victory. Northern took the game with a score of 8-7.
 
The Wolves will be back in action Wednesday from Clermont against Quincy University and West Liberty.