HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – David Head recorded two doubles and scored one for the Northern Kentucky University baseball team, but the Norse fell to Kennesaw State University, 8-5, in Atlantic Sun Conference action at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
 
Head finished 2-for-3 to lead NKU, which fell to 10-19 overall and 0-4 in the Atlantic Sun, while Dominic Mercurio went 2-for-4 with his first collegiate home run.  Cole Bauml recorded his 23rd double of the season, which leads the nation. NKU collected eight hits and left eight runners stranded.
 
Nick Beard (0-1) suffered his first loss of the season, surrendering two runs and walking three batters.  NKU starter Justin Watts gave up four runs on six hits in six innings of work, while striking out eight batters and walking three.
 
Watts struck out five of the first seven batters he faced as the Norse took a 2-0 lead through two innings of play.  Trey Ganns drew a lead-off walk in the second, and Cody Kuzniczci followed with a single through the left side. 
 
A David Head sacrifice bunt advanced both base runners, and Ganns opened the game's scoring when he came home on a Jordan Hillyer wild pitch, which also sent Kuzniczci to third.  Kuzniczci then scored on a sacrifice fly from Logan Spurlin.
 
Kennesaw State, which improved to 17-16 on the year and 3-4 in the conference, battled back in the top of the third to take the lead.  Cornell Nixon reached base on a fielder's choice, which saw Jeremy Howell, who singled through the right side.  Nixon stole second and went to third as Kuzniczci's throw to second was offline.
 
Corey Greeson then drew a walk and proceeded to steal second.  A Grant Williams sacrifice fly brought Nixon home to cut the Norse advantage in half before Chris Erwin was walked, sending Chris McGowan to the plate.  McGowan sent a 1-2 pitch over the right-field wall for his second home run of the season, giving the Owls a 4-2 advantage.
 
NKU looked to even the game in the bottom of the frame.  Dominic Mercurio led off with a single to right field, and Cole Bauml followed with his double to send Mercurio to third.  After a strikeout, Kyle Colletta hit a short chopper to Howell at third base, who threw Mercurio out at home, and a ground out left two Norse runners on base at the end of the inning.
 
Mercurio pulled NKU to within one (4-3) in the fifth when he sent the first pitch of the inning over the left-center field wall for his first collegiate career homer.  Bauml drew a walk and stole second before Quint Heady doubled down the left-field line to bring Bauml home and tie the game at 4-all.
 
The Norse regained the lead the next inning.  David Head hits the team's third double of the day, and he went to third on a Spurlin ground out.  A squeeze bunt from Anthony Vagnier allowed Head to score for a 5-4 NKU lead.
 
Erwin wasted no time bringing the game even once more as he blasted the third pitch of the seventh inning over the center field wall, and the Owls took a 6-5 advantage in the eighth when Nixon scored on a McGowan sacrifice fly.  Colin Bennett followed with a pinch-hitting, two-run single to push Kennesaw State ahead, 8-5.
 
NKU threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Ganns hits a lead-off single, and he was replaced by Taylor Sears at first base.  Sears went to second on a Kuzniczci ground out, and Head's second double of the game sent Sears to third.  Vagnier later drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but the inning ended before the Norse could plate a run.
 
McGowan finished 3-for-4 from the plate, drove in four runs and scored once to lead the way offensively for Kennesaw State, which recorded 10 hits and stranded 12 base runners, while Erwin went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and one RBI.
 
Mason Ward (3-0) earned the victory for the Owls, giving up just one hit and striking out one in 0.2 innings of work.  Hillyer surrendered five runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 6.1 innings on the mound for Kennesaw State.
 
NKU and Kennesaw State return to action on Saturday for the annual Strike Out Cancer game at 1 p.m. The American Cancer Society will be on site accepting donations, and Strike Out Cancer t-shirts, Coaches vs. Cancer t-shirts and NKU Pink Ribbon grocery bags will be available with a donation to ACS.  Breast cancer survivor Shirley Brown will be in attendance to throw out the game's first pitch.