TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State softball team used a pair of stellar pitching performances and timely hitting to defeat Nebraska-Kearney twice Saturday afternoon at RiverHawks Park.
 
The RiverHawks (20-15, 8-6 MIAA) picked up a 9-0 run-rule victory in the opener before toppling the Lopers (14-20, 5-11 MIAA) 6-1 in the second game.
 
Senior pitcher Kayce Wooldridge (15-5) never left the circle and earned both wins. She has now pitched in each of the last six games against league opponents, posting a 5-1 record in those outings.
 
She needed just 154 pitches to get through 12.0 innings Saturday after throwing 200 pitches in a split with Fort Hays State Friday. She conceded just eight hits and one run on the day, while posting four strikeouts and two walks. She continues to hold the MIAA lead in ERA (1.14), wins and complete games (19), and she is third with a career-high 112 strikeouts.
 
Redshirt freshman Haley Acrey led the RiverHawks at the plate, as she went 5-for-6 overall with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Senior Megan Ewton was 3-for-6 with two RBI and three runs, and sophomore Paige Gann was 2-for-5 with a home run. She has now recorded a homer in each of her last three MIAA doubleheaders.
 
Northeastern State is now set to step out of conference for a pair of road games against Newman that will be contested at 3 p.m. March 29 in Wichita, Kansas.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 9, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 0 (5 innings)
Wooldridge was lights out in the opener as she needed just 50 pitches to get through 5.0 innings. She gave up two hits in the contest and faced just two batters over the minimum.
 
The RiverHawks plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, adding a five-spot in the fourth to reach the run-rule.
 
Junior Madison Boyd, true freshman Kyla Ibarra and Acrey all had two hits and combined to go 6-for-7 at the plate. Ibarra posted four RBI, while Acrey had two RBI and two runs scored. Boyd drove home one run and scored twice.
 
Rebecca Wyatt and Makenzi Dallas recorded both of UNK's hits in the first game.
 
Nicole Larsen (4-8) absorbed the loss in the circle after conceding six runs on eight hits in 3.0 innings. Kami Merrill entered the game in a relief appearance and was unable to record an out. She gave up three runs on just one hit, while walking two and hitting one batter. Meg Housholder, the Game 2 starter, pitched the final inning and did not allow a hit or run.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 6, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY 1
Wooldridge was asked to pitch another complete game, but she was up to the task as she allowed just one run on six hits in a 7.0-inning victory.
 
Northeastern State got on the board in the third and added three runs in the fifth before the Lopers were finally able to scoot a run across in the sixth. That lone run would be all Wooldridge would allow as the RiverHawks picked up a crucial conference sweep.
 
Ewton and Acrey both went 3-for-4 in the second game and each tallied one RBI. Ewton scored twice and sophomore Bailey Applegate drove home two runs.
 
Wyatt and Dallas again had one hit each, and four other Lopers also had a hit in the second contest.
 
Housholder (3-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. Larsen came back to pitch and threw 1.1 innings of relief. She gave up two runs of her own on three hits.

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