Tim Clark surrendered four runs on seven hits as NKU fell to Grand Valley, 9-0. NKU's season ended later that night with a 4-2 loss to Wayne State.
NKU-GVSU box score |
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NKU-WSU box score |
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NORMAL, Ill. – Ryan Buter had a two-run double and scored another run as Wayne State took a 4-2 result to eliminate Northern Kentucky University from the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament.
The Norse finish the season with a 36-21 record. Wayne State, the No. 6 seed in the tournament, advances to the championship series on Sunday to face Grand Valley State in a rematch of the opening game of the Midwest Regional.
Matt Rustulka (2-5) got the victory, going the distance giving up a pair of runs on five hits while collecting seven strikeouts.
Buter opened the bottom half of the fifth inning with a single through the right side. After a sacrifice bunt to move into scoring position, C.J. Maszal and Michael Wiseman got the Warriors (34-20) on the board with back-to-back RBI base hits. Buter double the lead in the sixth inning when he shot a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right centerfield for a two-run double.
Brad Clement gave the Norse some life in the top of the ninth inning, roping an RBI triple to the centerfield wall to plate
Zac Asman, who singled to open the inning to close out a 2-for-4 game. Clement scored on a wild pitch, but that was all the Norse could get as the comeback bid came a little too late.
Jim Ryan (3-3) took the loss for the Norse, giving up four runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings of work.
Blake Bagshaw pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to keep the Norse in the game.
A two-run home run from hometown kid Cory Phillips proved to be the dagger as Grand Valley State sent NKU to the elimination bracked with a 9-0 victory in the opening game of the day.
The home run for Phillips, his fourth of the season and third of the tournament, came on a 1-0 pitch from
Tim Clark (4-2), who took the loss going five innings giving up four runs on seven hits. Phillips, a senior for the Lakers, prepped at Normal Community West High School, just down the road from Corn Crib Stadium, where this weekend's tournament is being played.
Torre Aguirre opened the scoring for the Lakers (51-3), roping a two-run single to left field in the top of the second inning. He played add-on with a two-run ground-rule double in the sixth inning to break the game open.
Steve Anderson added a 4-for-5 performance with a run scored.
Brian Erie accounted for two of NKU's four hits on the game.
Joe Jablonski (7-1) got the win for Grand Valley, going the distance for the four-hit shutout, facing just one more than the minimum and striking out four in the process. The win extended the No. 1 ranked Lakers' streak to 31 games without a loss.
