Brent Wethington and the Norse pitching staff did not allow a Bellarmine run.
Game 1 Box score Game 2 Box score
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Hot bats and solid pitching led the Northern Kentucky University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Bellarmine on Tuesday afternoon at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
The Norse have now won 12 games in a row and improved to 19-9 overall, 12-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
NKU claimed first place in the GLVC East Division standings with the two victories.
Bradley Vanderglas went 5-for-6 with three runs scored, four RBIs and a stolen base on the day as the Norse defeated the Knights 9-0 in the opening game and 6-0 in the nightcap.
Mike Nastold earned his first start of the season and pitched three scoreless innings for the win. He did not allow a hit and collected four strikeouts before being replaced by
Jim Ryan in the fourth inning.
Nastold, Ryan and
Blake Bagshaw limited the Knights to one hit in Game 1.
Kris Hecktor put the Norse on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning. Hecktor started the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Brett Cisper.
Pat Williams singled down the left field line to bring Hecktor home, giving NKU a 1-0 lead.
The Norse struck again in the fifth inning.
Max Colaner reached base on an error by right fielder Austin Crutcher. Colaner scored on a Vanderglas single to right field.
Brad Clement followed with a triple to right field, and Vanderglas scored.
Bellarmine pitcher Matt Bayes intentionally walked
Phil Smith, and Hecktor bunted to bring Clement home for the final run of the inning.
The Norse added four runs in the sixth inning and the final run in the seventh for the final margin.
Williams finished 2-for-3 for NKU, while Clement and Hecktor went 2-for-4.
NKU took advantage of Bellarmine errors in the first and third innings of Game 2 for a 2-0 advantage and never looked back.
Tim Clark pitched four scoreless innings to improve to 2-2 on the season. He struck out three batters.
Brent Wethington relieved Clark in the fifth inning and collected three strikeouts in two innings of work.
Brett Loeding, the GLVC Pitcher of the Week, completed the shutout for the Norse. He did not allow a hit in the final inning.
Smith went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Norse. Colaner and Vanderglas scored twice.
The last time NKU collected a doubleheader shutout was on April 18, 2010 against Maryville at home. The Norse won the opener 7-0 and cruised to a 23-0 victory in Game 2.
Bellarmine fell to 15-10 overall, 7-3 in the GLVC with the losses.
The Norse travel to Owensboro, Ky., for a four-game series against Kentucky Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday. The first pitch for both doubleheaders is scheduled for 1 p.m.
