Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Photo gallery | Game 1 box score | Game 2 box score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Bryan Rose smashed a fourth-inning grand slam as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team rolled to a 12-1 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

Kentucky Wesleyan salvaged a split with a 9-2 win over NKU in the nightcap. The Norse are 13-10 overall, 3-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Kentucky Wesleyan is 7-10 overall, 1-7 in the GLVC.

In the opener, NKU plated single runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Norse scored four times in the third inning to make it 6-0, with Zac Asman's two-run double the key hit.

Rose extended NKU's advantage to 10-0 in the fourth inning by blasting a grand slam to right field. Max Colaner added a two-run homer later in the fourth as the Norse coasted to the victory.

Dave Middendorf (3-2) went the distance for NKU and finished with eight strikeouts. The senior left-hander allowed just three hits and walked two.

Bradley Vanderglas scored a pair of runs for NKU in the opener, and Colaner added three runs batted in.

In the nightcap, Kentucky Wesleyan jumped out to a 6-0 lead after its first two at-bats. Asman and Brian Erie each drove in a run for NKU, which was limited to six hits.

NKU concludes the four-game series with Kentucky Wesleyan with a noon doubleheader on Sunday.