Clermont, Fla. – The Northern State University softball team recorded their first two-loss day of the season today, falling to Ohio Dominican University 2-5 and Holy Family University 3-10. The Wolves are now 6-6 overall in the 2016 season.
 
Game One- Ohio Dominican University
 
Northern State took control of the game in the top of the first, by throwing Ohio Domincan's Julia Suyak out at home plate. With a runner on second, Kelsey Albanese of the Panthers, drilled the ball to center field, however, senior Kalie Maiden fired it home for Macey Engel to put the tag down and save the run from scoring.
 
Shortly after, the Wolves tacked on their first two runs of the game in the second and third innings. Brittney Lash led off the bottom of the second by legging out an in the park homerun down the right field line, marking her third homerun in eleven games.
 
It was Michaela Liebl who got the rally going again for NSU in the third with a lead-off double to center field. With no outs, Lauren Kunz followed with a bunt single to the left side. Back at the top of the order, Kelsey Gale hit an RBI fielder's choice to put the Wolves up 2-0.
 
Junior pitcher Missy Elkins was solid through four complete innings, holding the Panthers to just two hits. It was not until the top of the fifth that Ohio Dominican started to shake up the NSU defense. The Panthers recorded four runs off of three hits, one error and a hit batter.
 
Northern State loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with two outs for power hitter Brittney Lash. Lash put the ball in play, but popped out to the pitcher to end the inning.
 
Ohio Dominican would go on to add another run in the sixth to make it a 2-5 game, while the Wolves struggled to string together hits.
 
Michaela Liebl went 2-3 from the plate with a double, leading the Wolves offensively. Brittney Lash and Rachel Albright each went 1-3, as Lash recorded a homerun and Albright picked up a double.
 
In her sixth plate appearance of the year, Missy Elkins was handed just her second loss. The junior held the Panthers to three earned runs and seven hits in seven complete innings pitched.
 
Game Two- Holy Family University
 
Northern State started the second game once again with an early lead, tallying a run in the top of the second inning. Brittney Lash singled to third base, as Katie Dawson followed with a walk. Courtney Moore approached the plate next and ripped a single up the middle to load the bases. With just one out, Michaela Liebl hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Wolves up 1-0.
 
Holy Family responded in the bottom of the second inning, taking the 3-1 lead off of an in the park homerun down the right field line. The Tigers added two more runs again in the third off of four base hits, making it a 1-5 game.
 
The Wolves reached on an error and stung together two hits to load the bases for junior Courtney Moore in the top of the fourth. Moore hit a fielder's choice to the right side to add a run for NSU.
 
Down 2-7, freshman Jamie Fisher held the Tigers in the bottom of the fourth to give Northern State another chance to fight back again in the fifth. Brittney Lash led off the inning by smashing her fourth homerun of the season to center field.
 
Holy Family University added three additional runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and eventually recorded the 10-3 victory over NSU.
 
As a unit, Northern State collected seven hits. Brittney Lash led the team, going 2-3 with a homerun, an RBI and a run scored. Kelsey Gale, Kalie Maiden, Jamie Fisher, Ashley Clapp and Courtney Moore each recorded hits in the contest.
 
The Wolves will continue play from the NTC Spring Games on March 9^th at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. versus Stonehill College and Post University.