HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. –
David Head finished 2-for-3 from the plate, drove in one run and scored once as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team dropped an 11-2 decision to Jacksonville University in Atlantic Sun Conference action on Friday at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.
Cole Bauml, who returned to the lineup after missing two weeks of action with an injury, recorded his nation-tying 25th double of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning for NKU, which fell to 16-26 overall and 4-9 in the Atlantic Sun. Bauml, who also extended his on-base streak to 43 games, and needs just one more double to tie NKU's single-season record of 26 doubles, set by Jason Cisper in 2010.
Evan Korson (2-6) suffered the loss on the mound, surrendering six runs on eight hits with one walk in five innings, while
Alex Bolia pitched one perfect inning of relief for the Norse, who recorded six hits and stranded nine base runners.
Jacksonville opened the game's scoring in the second inning. Connor Marabell sent a lead-off single up the middle, and Austin Hays followed with an infield single. Cameron Gibson reached base on a fielder's choice, which saw Hays get out at second and Marabell head to third. An
Evan Korson wild pitch allowed Marabell to score and put the Dolphins ahead, 1-0.
The Dolphins struck again in the top of the third. Chris Lehane sent his first triple of the season into deep right field, and he scored on a Parker Perez ground out. An Angelo Amendolare home run over the left-center field wall pushed the Jacksonville advantage to 3-0.
NKU threatened in the bottom of the fourth.
Trey Ganns singled through the right side, and
David Head followed with a single into right field.
Kyle Colletta advanced Ganns and Head an extra base with a ground out, but the Norse could not bring a run home as the inning ended with a strikeout.
Samuel Armstrong drew a walk to start the fifth, and a sacrifice bunt from Lehane advanced him to second. Perez recorded an infield single, sending Armstrong to third before a Drew Luther single brought Armstrong home. Amendolare's ground out sent Luther to second and Perez to third, and a Marabell single up the middle scored Perez to stretch Jacksonville's lead to 5-0.
The Dolphins added three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings for an 11-0 win before NKU put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh. Head reached base on a throwing error by Alex Seifert at third base, and Colletta drew a walk to send Head to third. A wild pitch by relief pitcher Ryan Quintero advanced each runner a base, and a ground out by
Dominic Mercurio allowed Head to score to cut the Norse deficit to 11-1.
The NKU offense was not done. Bauml's eighth-inning double led off the frame for the Norse, and
Cody Kuzniczci followed with a walk. A wild pitch from Shane Wise advanced Kuzniczci to second and Bauml to third, and
Trey Ganns drew a walk to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Head brought Bauml home for the final margin of the game.
Jacksonville starter Michael Baumann (6-1) scattered five hits over six scoreless innings of work in the win, and he struck out five batters and did not walk one.
Marabell paced the Dolphins offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Perez, Amendolare and Gibson each posted two-hit games for Jacksonville, which finished with 13 hits and left just three runners on base.
NKU and Jacksonville return to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. A link to live stats is available at nku.statbroadcast.com, and John Asalon's audio broadcast can be found at NKUNorse.com. Fans can also track the game's progress by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter as well.
