SALEM, Va. – For the third time in four years the No. 2 Lock Haven University softball team (50-6) will have the opportunity to the play for NCAA Division II Softball National Championship.

Lock Haven took two from No. 1 North Georgia College (50-5) today to advance to tomorrow’s National Championship game, where Lock Haven will take on No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville, who beat LHU 3-1 on Friday night.

LHU took Game 1 today from the Saints 8-0 in 4.5 innings, and responded with another huge offensive output to take the decisive second game today 8-1, eliminating the nation’s top ranked team from the Championship.

Lock Haven’s ace Kristin Erb (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) threw another gem as she went the distance to pick up the win. She hurled a two hitter and struck out nine on the way to the win. Erb never allowed a North Georgia runner to reach by way of balls and ran her season strikeout total to 390.

Senior third baseman Sarah Norris (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) had another solid outing at the plate and went 2-for-4. Her pair of hits in today’s Game 2 ran her tournament hit total to 11, which ties the all-time mark for a D-II Championship.

Norris is now 11-for-18 (.611) over four games. She ties a record held by Colleen Thorburn of Kennesaw State, who hit 11 times in the 1995 series.

Much like day’s first game, Lock Haven jumped all over North Georgia with a four-run bottom half of the first.

LHU didn’t stop there and tacked on a pair in the bottom of the second, as The Haven looked like they were going to run away with it, leading 6-0 after just two innings of play.

After North Georgia finally broke into the score column in the top of the fifth with a Hilary Cox home run, LHU responded by tacking on a run in the fifth and sixth to take home the big win.

Lock Haven’s eight runs came off 11 hits.

Along with Norris, four other Lady Eagles had multiple hits games including Amanda Roosa (Pompton Lakes, N.J./Pompton Lakes), who was 2-for-4 with a home run. Roosa recorded two RBIs and scored three runs.

Brittany Muthard (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. She hit a leadoff solo home run in the fifth inning.

Erica Eisenbise (Wernersville, Pa./Wilson) was 2-for-3 with a RBI and Julia Popovich (Lemont, Pa./State College) added a 2-for-3, one RBI performance.

Erb also got a tremendous defensive effort behind her all day long.

Lock Haven will take on No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Monday, May 25) at 3 p.m. for the Division II National Championship.