FORT MYERS, Fla. –
Trey Ganns finished 2-for-4 from the plate and scored once as the Northern Kentucky University baseball team dropped a 7-2 decision to Florida Gulf Coast University in Atlantic Sun Conference action on Friday evening.
Ganns was one of three players for NKU, which fell to 17-28 overall and 5-11 in the Atlantic Sun, to record a two-hit game, and he collected his 10th double of the season in the seventh inning.
Cole Bauml, who extended his hit streak to 13 games and his on-base streak to 46 dating back to last season,
Cody Kuzniczci and
Kyle Colletta each went 2-for-4 for the Norse.
Evan Korson (2-7) gave up seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits in 7.1 innings of work for NKU, and he recorded five strikeouts and three walks.
Justin Watts struck out one of the two batters he faced in the eighth for the Norse, who finished with 11 hits and stranded seven base runners.
A solo home run by Nick Rivera gave FGCU a 1-0 lead after the first inning, and the Eagles added a pair of runs to their total on in the fourth. A sacrifice fly from Adam Eggnatz brought Zach Spivey, who hit a lead-off single through the right side, home before Brady Anderson reached base on a fielder's choice as Colton Bottomley scored for a 3-0 advantage.
After FGCU put four more runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth to push its lead to 7-0, NKU broke through with its first run of the game in the seventh. Ganns sent a one-out double down the right-field line, and Kuzniczci followed with a single up the middle to bring Ganns home, cutting the Norse deficit to 7-1.
Bauml led off the top of the ninth for NKU with a single to left field, but he was out at second on the next play as Ganns reached on a fielder's choice.
Ryan Hinz replaced Ganns at first, and Kuzniczci sent him to third with a double down the left-field line. After a Colletta groundout,
Logan Spurlin was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Ryan LeFevers then singled through the left side, bringing Hinz home for the final margin of the game.
Bottomley led the way for FGCU, which improved to 25-22-1 on the year and 8-7 in the Atlantic Sun, going 3-for-4 and scoring twice. Blake Berger went 2-for-4 from the plate, while Matt Reardon and Tyler Seleski each posted two-hit days for the Eagles, who finished with 13 hits and left nine runners on base.
Mike Murray (5-6) earned the victory on the mound for FGCU after allowing just one run on seven hits in seven innings of work. He struck out five batters and did not walk a batter, while Garrett Anderson surrendered one run on four hits with one strikeout over two innings of relief.
NKU and FGCU return to Swanson Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second game of the series. Links to live stats and John Asalon's audio broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com. Fans can also keep up with the game's progress by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter.
