Northern Kentucky pitcher Krystal Lewallen has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week for the week for March 22-29. The sophomore from Crestwood, Ky., has been instrumental in NKU's success this season. The Norse are ranked eighth in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll.
Lewallen led NKU to a 5-1 mark at the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge in Peoria, Ill., last weekend. Northern Kentucky improved to 30-2 on the season.
Against Grand Valley State, Lewallen threw a complete game, scattering four hits and walking only two batters. With 11 strikeouts against the 14th-ranked Lakers, she set the career strikeout record at NKU. She now has 333 strikeouts in just a season and a half.
In NKU's game against defending regional champion Wayne State, Lewallen threw four innings, giving up just one hit in a 4-0 win.
She tossed four innings of no-hit softball to pickup a hard fought 4-3 win against Findlay, then threw a complete game one-hitter in NKU's 5-0 triumph over Ashland.
Lewallen is 17-1 this season with three saves. She has compiled a stellar 0.23 ERA to lead NKU's pitching staff, which has a 0.46 ERA as a whole. The Norse are currently six wins shy of the school record for wins, and sit atop the GLVC standings with a 4-0 mark in conference play.
