Box score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. –
Conor Ledger and
Hunter Morey each scored twice as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team earned its first Atlantic Sun Conference victory with a 5-3 win over South Carolina Upstate at the Cleveland S. Harley Park on Thursday night.
NKU improved to 3-22 overall and 1-3 in the A-Sun with the win, which snapped a school-record 16-game losing skid. USC Upstate fell to 13-11 overall and 2-5 in the conference.
The Norse took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Ledger scored on a Morey single, and NKU added two runs to stretch its lead in the top of the fifth.
Morey started the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Pat Hyde.
Josh Myers reached base when he was hit by a Brandon Lee pitch, and they both advanced on a double steal.
A
Bradley Vanderglas single allowed Morey to score, and Myers scored when
Brad Clement singled through the right side.
The Norse extended their lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning to seal the victory.
Ledger led the inning off for NKU with a single, and he proceeded to steal second. Morey singled to send Ledger to third. Morey then stole second for the third stolen base of the day for the Norse.
Hyde singled to right center to bring Ledger home, and Morey scored on a fielding error by right fielder Tyler Miller for the final NKU run of the game.
USC Upstate added one run in the bottom of the inning and two more in the seventh to cut into the Norse lead, but
Brett Loeding held off the late rally by retiring the final seven Spartans in order.
NKU collected 11 hits, marking the second time in the last 15 games that the Norse have collected 10 or more hits. The only other time came on March 16 in a 15-9 loss to Eastern Michigan.
Morey led the Norse offense, going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Ledger and Clement each finished 2-for-4.
Aric Harris (1-0) did not allow a run and scattered three hits over five innings of work to earn his first collegiate victory. Loeding pitched four innings of relief for his second save of the season.
Gaither Bumgardner, the A-Sun's preseason player of the year selection, went 2-for-3 to lead the Spartans, and he recorded a run and an RBI.
Lee (4-3) gave up four runs on 11 hits in eight innings of work for the USC Upstate. He collected six strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
NKU and USC Upstate return to the field Friday for Game 2 of the series at 6 p.m. Live stats, broadcast and ASun.TV information are available at NKUNorse.com.
