Rachele Vogelpohl after her home run

SALEM, Va. - Angie Lindeman’s suicide squeeze in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Rachele Vogelpohl with the winning run as Northern Kentucky University held off Le Moyne, 2-1, in the NCAA Division II World Series on Thursday.

With the bases loaded and one out, Lindeman laid down a bunt to the first-base side of the mound that was fielded by Le Moyne pitcher Sarah Reed. Vogelpohl, who had taken off from third base, slid in safely ahead of Reed’s throw as top ranked NKU improved to 54-0.

“It was a terrific game, and Le Moyne is a great team,” NKU head coach Kathy Stewart said. “Angie is a very good bunter, we called the squeeze, she got it down and that was it. We just hung in there, and hopefully we will play more relaxed in the next game.”

Vogelpohl, a junior left fielder and a graduate of Holy Cross High School, hit a home run earlier in the game to tie the score at 1-1. Le Moyne (43-10) had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Emma Murphy scored from third base while teammate Kristen DesLauriers was caught in a rundown between first and second.

Vogelpohl, however, responded by hitting a towering shot over the left-field fence to tie the game at 1-1. Le Moyne left fielder Molly Reagan drifted back to the fence on Vogelpohl’s drive, and she appeared to possibly have a play on the ball.

Reagan, however, jumped and was unable to make the play. It was Vogelpohl’s team-leading fourth homer of the season.

“I definitely did not think it was going over (the fence),” Vogelpohl said of her home run. “I was going for a double and hoping she (Reagan) would drop it.”

Rachele Vogelpohl scores the winning run

It remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, when NKU bunched together three straight one-out singles. Stephanie Leimbach lined a hit to center to load the bases, setting the stage for Lindeman’s suicide squeeze.

NKU junior pitcher Krystal Lewallen struck out seven batters and allowed an unearned run in seven innings to pick up her 31st victory of the season. The 31 wins tied Lewallen’s own school record, which she set last season.

“I think I was really nervous, and I definitely did not have my best stuff,” Lewallen said. “That’s probably a positive thing because I figure it can only get better.”

Becky Napier went 3-for-3 for NKU, while Leimbach added two hits. NKU stranded nine runners on base, including six in scoring position during the first six innings. Le Moyne made several outstanding defensive plays to keep NKU from scoring.

“Getting runners on meant we were hitting the ball,” Lindeman said. “Eventually that ball is going to drop. We did not look at (runners left on base) as a lost opportunity, but more of a motivation that we were hitting the ball, and that we needed to hold them down defensively until we scored.”

NKU will meet the winner of the Kennesaw State/St. Mary’s (Texas) game at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Kennesaw State and St. Mary’s were postponed due to heavy rain Thursday night, and the game will be played at 10 a.m. Friday.

NKU is seeking its first national championship in softball. The 54 consecutive wins are an all-time collegiate record.