Cody Kuzniczci
Jeff McCurry
3
Northern Kentucky NKU 2-12
4
Winner Ohio State OSU 8-4
Northern Kentucky NKU
2-12
3
Final
4
Ohio State OSU
8-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northern Kentucky NKU 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 11 1
Ohio State OSU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 8 0

W: Dempsey, Trace (2-0) L: Shaw, Jake (0-3)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Mike Anderson, NKU Athletic Communications

Baseball comeback falls short at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kyle Colletta and Cody Kucniczci each collected three hits as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team fell to Ohio State in walk-off fashion, 4-3, on Wednesday.
 
Cole Bauml added a pair of hits, including his 15th double of the season, as the Norse (2-12) totaled 11 hits off Buckeye pitching on the night. Robbie Dawson went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two driven in, and Patrick Porter added two hits for the Buckeyes, who improved to 8-4 on the year.
 
Dawson got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning, sending a 3-0 pitch over the wall in right center to give the Buckeyes the early 2-0 lead. Norse starting pitcher Matt Jefferson settled down well from that point, facing the minimum through the fifth inning, striking out two batters and allowing just two base runners, one erased on a double play in the third inning and another cut down on a pick off in the fourth.
 
Ryan LeFevers got the Norse on the board in the top of the fourth inning. The sophomore outfielder laced a double into the gap in left center to score Kuzniczci, who singled with one out in the frame, to cut the Buckeyes' lead in half. NKU drew level at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning on a Bauml double, scoring Anthony Vagnier, who singled on the first pitch of the frame.
 
Ohio State threatened in the sixth inning as a single and a walk put a pair of player on base before an interference call at first base on a ground ball from Connor Sabanosh gave the Norse their first out of the frame. Evan Korson came on in relief to pick up a strikeout of Dawson before getting Nick Sergakis to ground out to third to end the inning.
 
As he did in his first at bat, Dawson again gave Ohio State the lead in his final at bat, reaching base on a bunt single and scoring when Korson's pickoff throw missed the mark and scooted into right field. Trace Dempsey came on to save things for the Buckeyes in the top of the ninth, but a two-out walk to Vagnier and a single from Bamul set up Colletta to rip a single through the left side, scoring Vagnier and tying things back up at 3-3.
 
Craig Nennig's one-out double off Jake Shaw got the Buckeyes started in the ninth. After Nennig was lifted for a pinch runner, Ryan Leffel walked and Troy Montgomery singled just in front of a diving Bauml to load the bases for Sabanosh, who was dotted by a 3-2 pitch from Tyler Miller to send in the winning run.
 
The loss fell to Shaw (0-3), who started the ninth inning for the Norse and surrendered a hit. Korson added a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief for the Norse. Dempsey was named the winning pitcher, improving his record to 2-0 on the year, giving up a run on two hits in the Norse ninth. OSU started Jake Niggemeyer scattered eight hits and gave up two runs in six innings as the starter in his collegiate debut.
 
The Norse face a quick turnaround, heading to Xenia, Ohio, tomorrow to take on Dayton at the Athletes In Action complex in a makeup of Tuesday's rain out. Right-hander Justin Watts (0-0, 5.63 ERA) will go for the Norse, opposed by Mason Kutroff (2-0, 3.00 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. with links to live stats and John Asalon's play-by-play available on NKUNorse.com.
 
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