Box score
DeLAND, Fla. – Garret Russini's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning led the Stetson University baseball team to a 7-6 victory over Northern Kentucky University on Sunday in Atlantic Sun Conference action at Melching Park.
With the score tied at 6-all in the bottom of the seventh, Darby McCormick started the inning for Stetson (26-26 overall, 15-9 in the A-Sun) with a single.
Brett Loeding then walked Patrick Mazeika to send McCormick to second, and both advanced a base on a James Rasmussen sacrifice bunt.
Russini stepped to the plate and sent a 1-0 pitch into
Quint Heady's glove, but McCormick was able to score to give the Hatters a 7-6 lead.
Brett Cisper's two-run double down the left-field line gave NKU a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Stetson answered in the bottom of the frame with five runs to take a 5-2 advantage.
The Norse added two runs in the top of the third to pull to within one (5-4) after Heady singled and scored on a
Brad Clement's 200th hit at NKU.
Cody Kuzniczci followed with a double, and Clement went to third on the play.
Logan Spurlin scored Clement when he reached on a fielder's choice.
The lead was stretched to 6-4 in the bottom of the inning on a Carlos Garmendia RBI single, but Wood and
Caleb Lonkard came home in the fourth to even the game.
NKU (8-43 overall, 3-21 in the A-Sun) threatened in the top of the ninth inning. Kuzniczci singled through the right side to start, and
Zac Asman's sacrifice bunt sent
Ryan Hinz, who replaced Kuzniczci at first, to second base. With two outs, Tyler Warmoth hit back-to-back batters to load the bases, but the inning ended before the Norse could bring home the tying run.
Garmendia finished 2-for-2 with an RBI to lead Stetson, while McCormick, Tyler Bocock and K'shawn Smith went 2-for-4. Bocock scored twice and Smith batted in two runs on the day.
Warmoth (5-2) earned his second win of the series after pitching three scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just two hits, walked one batter and struck out one. He also recorded the win in Stetson's 3-2 walk-off victory over the Norse on Friday evening.
Kuzniczci led the NKU offense after going 3-for-5 with a run scored and a double. Clement finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.
Clement moved into ninth place on NKU's career hits list with 201 when he singled down the right-field line in the sixth inning. He is now tied with Brandon Chesnut, who played for the Norse from 1991-94.
NKU returns to action on Tuesday when the Norse face Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Live stats will be available at NKUNorse.com
The Norse conclude the 2013 season with a three-game series against conference foe Mercer at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex starting Thursday. NKU will honor its seniors prior to Saturday's action, and it will also be alumni day.
