XENIA, Ohio –
Quint Heady's two-run single in the top of the 14th inning led the Northern Kentucky University baseball team to a 10-8 victory over the University of Dayton on Thursday evening at Athletes in Action Stadium.
Ryan LeFevers drew a one-out walk to spark the offense in the extra frame, and he moved to second when
Conor Ledger was walked. An
Anthony Vagnier infield single loaded the bases, and Heady followed with a single to right field, driving home LeFevers and Ledger
for the Norse lead.
Cole Dineen hit a one-out single for Dayton in the bottom of the 14th inning, but
Cody Cooper retired the final two batters of the game for the victory.
Cooper (1-2) pitched six innings of relief for NKU, which improved to 3-12 overall, to earn his first win of the season. He scattered four hits and struck out seven batters. Starter
Justin Watts went three innings and allowed just one run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Cole Bauml paced the Norse offense, going 4-for-6 from the plate with two RBIs, one run scored and one double, while Vagnier picked up three hits for the Norse.
Kyle Colletta went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, while
Clark Pence finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run.
NKU used four hits and took advantage of two Dayton errors to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
Logan Spurlin reached base on an error by third baseman Dineen, and
Ryan LeFevers sent him to second with a single to right field. Spurlin went to third on a wild pitch and scored the game's first run on a
Clark Pence single to center field.
Vagnier followed with a bunt single to load the bases, before LeFevers came home as
Brad Bohlen reached base on a fielder's choice, which saw Vagnier out on the play. On the next play, Bohlen advanced to second on an error by shortstop Greg Rhude, and Pence put the Norse ahead, 3-0, when he scored on the miscue.
Bauml capped the Norse second with a single to center field to bring Bohlen home and give NKU the four-run lead.
Watts retired six Dayton batters in order over the next two innings, but the Flyers cut into the Norse advantage in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded,
Pierce Knisley took over on the mound and gave up a single to A.J. Ryan, which allowed Sergio Plasencia to score, bring the NKU lead to 4-1.
The Norse got the run back in the top of the next frame. Bauml recorded his nation-leading 16th double of the season in the top of the fifth, and he came home on a Colletta single to put NKU ahead, 5-1. A two-run home run by Glenn Jones in the bottom half of the inning pulled Dayton to within 5-3.
After a scoreless sixth, the Flyers took the lead in the seventh. Zach Schira singled to lead off the inning before Greg Rhude drew a one-out walk followed by a Jones walk to load the bases. Plasencia then hit an RBI single that allowed Schira to score, and a Alex Harris single brought Rhude home to tie the game at 5-all.
A wild pitch by
Aric Harris moved each batter up a base with Jones scoring on the play to give Dayton a 6-5 lead before Ryan was walked to once again load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Dineen scored Plasencia for a 7-5 advantage.
An RBI-infield single from Plasencia brought home Schira, who was walked to start the inning, in the eighth to push the Flyers ahead 8-5, but NKU responded with three runs in the ninth to tie the game. Pence sparked the rally with a double to right field, and
Brad Bohlen roped a one-out double into right field to score Pence.
Quint Heady was sent in to replace Pence on the base path, and
Taylor Sears stepped to the plate for
Caleb Lonkard. Sears drew a walk, and Bauml sent a single into center field, bringing Heady home to bring the Norse to within 8-7. Sears tied the game on a Colletta sacrifice fly.
Bauml stole second base, his seventh successful swipe of the season, but he was left stranded as a strikeout ended the NKU rally.
Cooper stepped onto the mound for the Norse in the bottom of the ninth, and he retired the Flyers in order to send the game into extra innings.
NKU threatened in the top of the 12th and 13th, loading the bases in each inning but were unable to bring the go-ahead run home. Dayton left three runners stranded over the final six innings.
Alex Harris went 3-for-5 with one RBI and was walked twice to lead Dayton, which fell to 5-9 on the year. Plasencia finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Flyers, while Ryan recorded a two-hit day as well.
Reliever Eric Ashbrook (0-1) took the loss for the Flyers, pitching 1.1 innings and surrendering two runs on two hits with two walks. Starter Mason Kutroff gave up five runs, just two earned, on seven hits over five innings of work. He struck out six batters and walked one.
After the Norse head to Wright State on Wednesday, March 18, they will open the home portion of its 2015 schedule the next game against Miami Hamilton. Links to live stats and John Asalon's audio broadcast for each game will be available at NKUNorse.com.
