Leesburg, Fla. – The Northern State University softball team picked up their second-straight sweep from the National Training Center Springs Games with a pair of victories over Stonehill College. With 9-2 and 2-1 wins, the Wolves improve 7-3 overall in the 2017 season. Stonehill College is now 1-6 overall.
Game One
The middle of the lineup aided the Wolves in the first inning, as
Jenna Helgeson singled to center field and stole second to put herself in scoring position for senior
Rachel Albright. Albright connected for a double to right center to put Northern on the board.
Jess Vernon and
Jamie Fisher also knocked in a pair of runs to extend the Wolves' lead to 3-0.
Katelynn Dilts tacked on a run with a solo homerun to centerfield in the bottom of the fourth, followed by a three-run shot by
Jenna Helgeson in the sixth.
The Skyhawks singled to right field in the top of the seventh, however were unable to mount a seven-run comeback, and the Wolves would earn the 9-2 victory.
Jenna Helgeson led the NSU offense with three hits, three RBIs and a stolen base, while Katelylnn Dilts and
Shayla Steinley each tallied two hits.
Rachel Albright,
Jess Vernon,
Jamie Fisher and Courtney Sjervan each collected hits to round out Northern's 11 total.
Jamie Fisher recorded her third win of the year from the mound, allowing seven hits with no earned runs. The sophomore tallied six strikeouts, seven groundouts and seven fly outs in her fourth start of the year.
Game Two
The Wolves were first to notch a run across the plate once again in game two. In the bottom of the third, both
Katelynn Dilts and
Shayla Steinley walked to place two runners on first and second. After a sacrifice bunt by
Jenna Helgeson,
Rachel Albright was hit by a pitch to load the bases for freshman
Kennady Thompson.
Thompson blasted a double to right center to score Dilts and Steinley. The Wolves would threaten with just one out and bases loaded, however the Skyhawks escaped the jam.
Both teams went scoreless into the seventh inning when Erin Brayden of Stonehill College spoiled
Rachel Albright's complete game shutout with a solo homerun to center field with two outs. Albright forced a groundout on the following at bat, and the Wolves would clinch the sweep.
Northern connected for three hits, coming off the bats of
Kennady Thompson and
Lauren Kunz. Thompson batted in both runs for the Wolves.
Rachel Albright improved to 2-0 from the mound in her third appearance of the season. Albright allowed just two hits and forced 16 groundouts in seven complete innings pitched.
The Wolves will continue action from the NTC Spring Games on Tuesday, March 7
th at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. against Notre Dame College and the College of Saint Rose.