HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Four Northern Kentucky University relievers combined to pitch six innings of scoreless baseball as the Norse came back from an early deficit to post a 4-3 win over Miami-Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon.
Alex Bolia picked up his first win of the season after pitching a scoreless ninth inning, surrendering one hit.
Jake Shaw and
Zac Edwards combined for three perfect innings while
Nick Beard recorded a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work in relief of starter
Pierce Knisley.
Eight different Norse combined on eight hits, including
Cody Kuzniczci's leadoff triple in the eighth inning to set up the tying run.
Cole Bauml went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 28 games. The victory pushed the Norse to 5-13 on the year, winners of three of their last four.
The Harriers (6-4) got on the board early, stringing together three singles and turning them into a pair of runs on a Tyler Thamann sacrifice fly and a passed ball to score TJ Belieu. Miami Hamilton took advantage of an error to plate another run in the second inning when Jarrod Hall singled to score Triston Busick to make it a 3-0 game.
It was the fifth inning before the Norse found an answer with a two-out rally.
Caleb Lonkard reached on a fielding error to flip the lineup and bring up Cole Bamul, who extended his hitting streak to 28 games with a double to right field to score Lonkard.
Quint Heady followed up by sending a 1-0 pitch back up the box to score Bamul and make it a 3-2 game.
The Norse tied things up in the eighth after Cody Kuzcniczi led off the frame with triple and came home on a Tanner Fanta wild pitch. After Bolia's solid frame, pinch hitter
Kyle Colletta roped a double over the outfield defense to open the bottom of the ninth and advanced to third on a wild pitch to set up a
Caleb Lonkard sacrifice fly on a line shot to left field, scoring Colletta for the walk-off winner.
Jarrod Hall and Mitch Durbin each claimed two hits for the Harriers, while starter Eric Handleman went 7.1 innings giving up three runs on seven hits and recording one strikeout.
The Norse now take a weekend off before getting back to work at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex for a pair of midweek games to close out a three-game home stand. The Norse welcome in Morehead State on Tuesday before seeing a return match against Wright State on Wednesday. First pitch for each game is set for 3 p.m., with a link to John Asalon's play-by-play call available at NKUNorse.com.
