SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With the game tied at three-all headed to the top of the ninth, Northern Kentucky exploded for four runs to blow past USC Upstate, 7-3, on Friday night. Cody Kuzniczci powered the surge with a three-run double and Cody Cooper picked up the victory after working the final 1.2 innings on the mound.
 
Consecutive singles from Quint Heady and David Head in the first had the Norse threatening, but the Spartan's Jordan Miller was able to induce an inning-ending double play.
 
Upstate put a pair of runners on the pads in the bottom of the second before Northern Kentucky starter Evan Korson registered consecutive outs to avoid any harm. After the Spartans put runners in scoring position with two outs in the third, Korson settled in and fanned Charlie Carpenter to get out of the jam.
 
The Norse finally broke through for the game's first run in the fifth. Back-to-back singles by Kyle Collette and Ryan Lefevers gave NKU a pair of runners. Heady delivered a two-out RBI single.
 
Two more runs in the sixth stretched Northern Kentucky's advantage to three. Trey Ganns drew a walk and, following a single from Logan Spurlin, scored on Colletta's single. Spurlin later scored on a fielder's choice groundout courtesy of Caleb Lonkard.
 
Upstate struck for one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to knot the game at three. A Norse miscue allowed Stephen Dowling to come home in the seventh, then an RBI-single from Zach Krider and fielder's choice RBI from James Fowlkes plated the final two Spartan runs in the eighth.
 
Northern Kentucky then exploded for four runs in the ninth. Lonkard singled and stole second. Mercurio singled and, with Lonkard now on third, swiped second as well. Vagnier grounded out to the pitcher and Head was intentionally walked to load the bases with one down for Kuzniczci, who delivered a bases-clearing double on a 3-1 pitch.
 
Spurlin knocked in Kuzniczci with a two-out single to provide the final score.
 
Korson was masterful on the mound, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, on six hits in seven innings of work. He tacked on a five K's in the outing.
 
Cooper secured the final two-outs in the eighth and then registered all three outs in the ninth to earn the victory, running his record to 4-3 on the season.
 
Heady, Spurlin, Colletta and Lonkard each belted out two hits for the Norse.
 
Eric Birklund (1-3) incurred the loss for USC Upstate after allowing four runs on four hits in just 3.1 innings. Daniel Fickas led the Spartans with a 4-for-5 showing at the dish.
 
Saturday's game has been moved to a 5 p.m. start due to impending storms in the area. Links to live stats and John Asalon's audio broadcast can be found on NKUNorse.com.