HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – David Head recorded two doubles and scored twice as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team dropped a 6-5 thriller to Jacksonville University at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex on Sunday afternoon in Atlantic Sun Conference action.
 
Head finished 2-for-4 with one RBI to lead NKU, which fell to 17-27 overall and 5-10 in the Atlantic Sun, while Trey Ganns drew two walks, hit one double and collected three RBIs for the Norse.  Cole Bauml extended his hit streak to 11 games and on-base streak to 45 games for the Norse, who recorded six hits and stranded 11 base runners.
 
Matt Jefferson (3-6) took the loss on the mound for NKU, giving up six runs, four earned, on nine hits in six-plus innings of work, and he struck out six Jacksonville batters and walked four.  Cody Cooper pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief work, and he struck out two batters and walked two.
 
Jacksonville, which improved to 21-25 on the year and 7-8 in the conference, took advantage of an NKU error in the second inning to take the lead.  Austin Hays hit a lead-off double to center field, and Garrett Ruckel reached base with two outs as David Head had a hard time gaining control of Ruckel's hit and Hays went to third.  J.J. Gould followed with a single up the middle, which scored Hays, for a 1-0 Dolphins advantage.
 
Back-to-back walks started the Jacksonville fourth, and a Dylan Dillard single through the left side loaded the bases.  Garrett Ruckel then grounded into a double play but Hays scored to stretch the Dolphins lead to 2-0.
 
NKU answered in the bottom of the fourth.  David Head drew a lead-off walk, and Cody Kuzniczci recorded a one-out single through the left side to send Head to second.  Logan Spurlin then reached base on a fielder's choice play, which saw Kuzniczci out at second, and Head went to third.  A Trey Ganns double to right-center field allowed Head and Spurlin to score, tying the game at 2-all.
 
The Dolphins regained the lead in the fifth.  Angelo Amendolare drew a two-out walk, and he proceeded to steal second.  Connor Marabell singled up the middle, and Amendolare came home to push the Jacksonville lead to 3-2.
 
The Norse once again responded in the bottom of the inning.  Dominic Mercurio led off with a single up the middle, and a sacrifice bunt from Quint Heady sent him to second.  David Head doubled down the left-field line to bring Mercurio home and knot the game at 3-3.
 
Cameron Gibson scored as Gould grounded into a double play in the top of the sixth and a two-run seventh gave Jacksonville a 6-3 lead before the NKU offense struck in the bottom of the seventh.  Head sent a one-out double into deep center field, and Cole Bauml was then walked. 
 
Logan Spurlin drew a two-out walk to load the bases, and Trey Ganns was walked, which brought Head home and pulled the Norse to within two (6-4).  Kyle Colletta stepped in to pinch hit for Anthony Vagnier, and he was hit by a Dylan Dillard pitch to send Bauml home to cut the NKU deficit to 6-5.
 
NKU threatened in the bottom of the eighth.  Mercurio drew a walk to start the inning, and a Heady sacrifice bunt sent him to second.  Bauml was intentionally walked with two outs before Mercurio advanced to third on a wild pitch.  However, a strikeout ended the Norse inning before Mercurio could come home.
 
Amendolare went 2-for-3 and scored twice to lead five Jacksonville players with two-hit performances in the series finale.  Marabell drove in two runs with his two hits for the Dolphins, who collected 12 hits and left 12 runners on base.
 
Greg Shannahan (3-2) earned the victory after allowing two runs on one hits with four walks in 2.1 innings of relief.  Starter Nathan Disch surrendered three runs on five hits, and he struck out seven batters and only walked two for Jacksonville.
 
NKU takes a break from midweek action to focus on finals week before the Norse head to Florida Gulf Coast for a three-game series in Fort Myers, Florida.  First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 6:30 p.m.  Links to live stats and John Asalon's audio broadcast are available NKUNorse.com.  Fans can also keep up with the game's progress by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter.