WICHITA, Kan. – The Northeastern State softball team picked up a pair of non-conference road victories over Newman Tuesday afternoon at the NU Softball Field.
 
The RiverHawks (22-15) earned a 5-0 triumph in the opener and then topped the Jets (12-25) 5-1 in the nightcap. Northeastern State is now on a season-best five-game win streak.
 
Junior Ryan Martin led NSU at the plate with a 5-for-7 effort on the day. Sophomore Jessica Boone and true freshman Baylee Ratliff tallied four hits and one home run each.
 
Northeastern State will now prep for a four-game series with Central Oklahoma this upcoming weekend. The RiverHawks will first head to Edmond, Oklahoma, on April 1 for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. NSU will then play host to the Bronchos at 2 p.m. April 2. The first two games of the series will count towards MIAA standings, and the two in Tahlequah will be non-conference affairs.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 5, NEWMAN 0
Senior pitcher Kayce Wooldridge threw a one-hit shutout to earn the victory in the circle. The second batter she faced hit a single, and she mowed down the next 20 Jets en route to a dominating victory.
 
Wooldridge improved to 16-5 on the season and is now just one victory shy of tying her career record of 17 wins set in her sophomore year. On the same day when she was honored as the MIAA/AstroTurf Pitcher of the Week, she tied her career high with eight strikeouts and did not issue a walk in picking up her sixth shutout of the season. She has conceded just one run total in her last four outings.
 
Boone led off the first game with a home run and NSU never looked back. Ratliff connected with her first-career homer in the fourth to add three insurance runs, and the green and white slid across a fifth marker in the final frame on an RBI double from Martin.
 
Martin finished 3-for-4 with one run batted in and one run scored. Ratliff was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run, and sophomore Kaleigh Hinkle was 2-for-3 and scored twice.
 
Mikayla Medbery stood between Wooldridge and her first career no-hitter with the lone hit of the game.
 
Kate Smith (5-15) tossed the first 4.0 frames for Newman and earned the loss. She gave up four runs on five hits, while walking four and striking out one. Katie Ingles threw the final 3.0 innings and allowed just one run on five hits. She fanned three and did not issue a walk.
 
NORTHEASTERN STATE 5, NEWMAN 1
The RiverHawks used a four-run second inning to get ahead and cruise to the sweep. The lone run for the Jets all day came in the final inning of play.
 
Boone finished the finale 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Martin and Ratliff were both 2-for-3.
 
Senior Delaney Gray (1-3) earned her second-career victory in the circle after shutting out NU for the first 4.0 innings. She gave up just three hits and two walks, while striking out one. True freshman Taryn Gray threw the next 2.0 frames, and junior Jennifer Wolf saw one inning of work. Wolf gave up the lone run in the seventh on two hits.
 
Taylor Mannis and Medbery combined to go 6-for-7 at the plate for the home team. The rest of the lineup went 1-for-20.
 
Ingles (5-6) threw the first 5.0 innings and was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits. Jensen Cromer tossed the last two frames and did not give up a run.

-GoRiverHawksGo.com-