Leesburg, Fla. – The Northern State University softball team earned their fourth and fifth victories of the 2017 season with a 5-3 win over Notre Dame College and a 6-2 win over Mercyhurst University. The Wolves improve to 5-3 overall early in the season.

Game One – Notre Dame College

As the visiting team, Notre Dame College was first to record a run in the contest with a double to center and an RBI single through the right side. Northern State responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, as Katelynn Dilts led off with a single to right field. With two outs, Kennady Thompson singled through the left side to put runners on first and second.

Jamie Fisher and Jess Vernon each knocked in runs for NSU to give them a 3-1 advantage. The Falcons tacked on a run in the top of the second off two base hits, a stolen base and a fielder's choice to cut their deficit to just one.

Kennady Thompson put NSU back on top 5-2 after a two-run homerun to right center. Notre Dame answered with a homerun of their own in the top of the seventh, however Missy Elkins got the Wolves out of a jam with two runners on and the Wolves would notch their first win of the week.

From the mound, Elkins allowed eight hits with four strikeouts in seven complete inning. The senior is now 2-2 overall on the year.

As a team, the Wolves tallied seven hits in 23 at bats. Jess Vernon and Kennady Thompson each collected two hits and two RBIs, while Katelynn Dilts, Rachel Albright and Jamie Fisher had one each.

Game Two – Mercyhurst University

The Wolves jumped to a 3-0 lead in game two. Shayla Steinley and Rachel Albright got the bats going for NSU in the top of the first with a pair of singles, followed by Kennady Thompson and Jess Vernon who combined for three RBIs for the first scores.

Mercyhurst battled back in the bottom of the first, notching two runs off two singles and an error. The Wolves tacked on one run in the top of the fifth, and added two additional insurance runs in the seventh. Shayla Steinley walked and advanced to third on a stolen base. Sophomore Jenna Helgeson laid down a suicide squeeze to score Steinley. After Helgeson stretched to third, Kennady Thompson blasted a double left center to clinch the four-run victory.

As a unit, NSU connected for nine hits in 31 at bats. Freshmen Shayla Steinley and Kennady Thompson led the Wolves with two hits each, while Jess Vernon knocked in two runs. Jenna Helgeson, Rachel Albright, Katie Dawson and Madison Rutter each notch base hits.

In her first start of the season, Rachel Albright allowed just one earned run and five hits in seven complete innings from the mound. The senior is now 1-0 on the year with an ERA of 0.75.

Northern will resume play tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for a double-header against Stonehill College.