March 24, 2007

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Lewis pitcher Courtney Lyons allowed no runs and only one hit over a combined seven innings of work to pick up a win and a save for the Flyers in a 5-4, 5-3 doubleheader sweep of Northern Kentucky, Saturday afternoon in conference action at Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.

The Flyers (15-4, 4-0) have now won 14 games in a row. Northern Kentucky fell to 16-10 (3-3).

Lyons (5-2) entered game one in the second inning with Lewis trailing 4-3. She retired the first two batters she faced to end the inning, and then went on to get the next 12 hitters in a row before yielding a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Lyons forced the next batter into a groundout to end the frame.

Lewis tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third when Kelly Dianis collected an RBI single. The game remained tied until the seventh, when Lewis broke through with the go-ahead run.

Mallory Paine led off the inning with a walk and was advanced to second via a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Kristy Vanek. Carla Musillo then brought Paine home with a single to center field.

Lyons put down the Norse in order in the bottom half of the seventh to earn the win.

Julie Wingerter (4-1) started game two and was perfect through five, except for a fluke infield single in the third inning. The Flyers scored once in the first and three times in the third to build a 4-0 lead on the Norse.

Vanek brought in Lewis' first run with a sharp single to left that scored Lisa Gartland from second. Paine belted a solo home run in the third to make it 2-0, and Dianis added a two-RBI double later in the inning with a long fly off the wall in right center.

Wingerter worked into the sixth inning before Northern Kentucky broke through for three runs. Lyons entered the game with two outs and got the next batter to fly out to center.

The Flyers added an insurance run in the seventh when Dianis doubled high off the wall in left center, scoring Jessica Beck who was pinch-running for Vanek. Dianis' shot, a screaming line drive, was inches away from clearing the fence on a fly.

Lyons allowed her only hit of the day to the Norse leadoff hitter in the seventh, but she was able to hold off the threat and complete the save.

The Lewis offense totaled 20 hits for the afternoon. Dianis finished 5-for-8 with three doubles and four RBI. Vanek was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two sacrifice bunts. Gartland went 3-for-8 with two doubles and two RBI. Musillo collected three hits and one RBI.

The Flyers conclude their road trip with a Sunday doubleheader at Bellarmine. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.