Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Game 1 box score | Game 2 box score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – There was no shortage of offense on Saturday afternoon as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team pounded out a pair of big wins over Christian Brothers in an afternoon doubleheader.

NKU (3-2) took the first game by a 20-3 margin before completing the sweep with a 9-4 win in Game 2.

The Norse slammed on the gas early in Game 1, using back-to-back singles from Jason Cisper and Patrick Muth to open the top of the first inning to plate the game's first run. Shannon McCormick got in the mix as well, slamming his third home run of the season over the left-field wall to close out the four-run inning.

Bryan Rose added his first home run in a Norse uniform, sending a towering fly ball over the right field wall to plate two more runs in the top of the third inning. Cisper added a two-run single later in the inning before Muth closed out the five-run inning with an RBI-single of his own.

NKU exploded for eight runs in the fourth inning, including a pair of hits from Jeff Bohlen, who led off the inning with a home run before pulling a single to right field later in the frame. McCormick, Max Colaner and Derek Jones added RBI-singles in the frame while McDole pushed a two-run double up the left field line.

Freshman catcher Patrick Hyde put the punctuation mark on the game with his three-run homer to right field in the sixth inning. Hyde unleashed the home run in just his second collegiate at-bat.

Eight of the nine NKU starters claimed base hits with four players – Cisper, Rose, McCormick and Hyde – knocking in three runs each. The 20-run outburst was the most since March 30, 2001, when the Norse defeated Transylvania, 21-10.

The Norse pitching was typically stellar, with Dave Middendorf (2-0) going four innings with five strikeouts in the start.  Jim Ryan and Bryan Baldini combined for three innings of scoreless relief in the game.

NKU started the hitting early again in Game 2, hanging three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI-singles from Bohlen and Rose before McCormick followed up with a sacrifice fly. Bohlen came back with a two-run single in the top of the second inning to give the Norse the early 5-0 lead.

Larry Pempek added to the momentous day by sending a 1-0 pitch over the right-center field wall for his first collegiate home run in the third inning.

Colaner was the offensive star of the game, going 3-for-3 on the game and scored three runs, while Bohlen went 3-for-4 and drove in three more.

Andy Heston (1-0) got the win in 1 2/3 innings of relief work for starter Jarrett Casey. Kevin Jordan set a new school record with his 77th career (77th-career) pitching appearance, going the final 2 1/3 innings to garner his first save of the season.

NKU will conclude the three-game series with Christian Brothers on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern.