May 6, 2005
NKU Box Score
Indianapolis Box Score
EAST PEORIA, Ill.--The Lewis University softball team advanced to the second day of competition at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament after losing to Northern Kentucky and beating Indianapolis.
The Flyers (29-21), who beat Southern Indiana in their tournament opener, faced NKU with a chance to hand the Norse their first loss of the season. NKU (48-0) came away with the 7-0 victory, thereby setting the all-divisions collegiate record for consecutive wins. The Norse passed NCAA Division I Arizona who previously held the record at 47 games.
Lewis mustered just two hits off All-America first-team pitcher Krystal Lewallen. Lewallen (25-0) struck out 12 en route to her 16th complete-game shutout of the season.
Forced into the loser's bracket, Lewis faced an elimination game with Indianapolis immediately following the loss to NKU. The Flyers were seeking revenge after being swept by UIndy in a doubleheader earlier this season.
Lewis exacted its vengeance with a 4-1 win that eliminated the Greyhounds (27-18). UIndy cracked the scoreboard first, scoring on a passed ball in the top of the fourth inning.
However, Lewis answered in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of two-out runs. Kristy Vanek led off the inning with a single to left field. She moved to second following a sacrifice, and with two outs, catcher Kalynn Russell atoned for her passed ball with an RBI single that tied the game.
Christina Willis then provided the game-winning hit with a base hit back through the middle that scored pinch runner Danielle Ferlito.
Lewis added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Ashley LeGrand provided a bases loaded RBI single and Mallory Paine notched a sacrifice fly to score the Flyers' runs in the inning.
Staked with a 4-1 lead, starting pitcher Shannon Roney (13-7) closed out the game. Roney worked seven innings striking out two, scattering five hits and allowing one unearned run.
Lewis returns to action in the GLVC Tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7. The Flyers will have a rematch with Southern Indiana with the winner advancing to a 5 p.m. elimination game.
