UIC slips past @NKUNorseBSB for doubleheader sweep
CHICAGO – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team fell to UIC in both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday, 5-4 and 5-2, despite Will Haueter's 5-for-8, five RBI performance at Curtis Granderson Stadium.
UIC (22-23, 12-6 Horizon League) used the eighth inning of both games to post its pair of victories. The Flames plated each of their five runs in the eighth inning of game one for a come-from-behind victory, then scored two in the eighth inning of game two after NKU (16-31, 5-19 Horizon League) came within one run of the Flames in the top of the frame.
The Norse return to action on Sunday when they travel to Valparaiso for a Horizon League doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Game One (UIC 5, Northern Kentucky 4)
In game one, Norse starter Trey Ganns matched his career-high 7.2 innings pitched. The sophomore left-hander took a shutout into the eighth inning, having allowed just three UIC hits through his first seven innings of work.
In the meantime, Haueter gave NKU a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI double that scored Logan Spurlin and Tito Montgomery.
Haueter went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and drove in each of NKU's four runs in game one. The redshirt freshman plated Spurlin again in the third on an RBI single and tacked on a run in the fifth, pushing Colletta across the plate on an RBI double for a 4-0 lead.
Brad Bohlen also saw success in game one, going 3-for-4 while Spurlin went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Ganns ended his outing with five hits, four runs and eight strikeouts in his 7.2 innings after UIC spoiled the shutout bid on a fielder's choice RBI that sparked their five-run eighth.
Aric Harris absorbed the loss after relieving Ganns in the eighth.
Game Two (UIC 5, Northern Kentucky 2)
In game two, the NKU offense got off to a slow start, plating one run in the seventh and eighth frames after UIC took a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Despite the loss, NKU out-hit UIC, 9-7, with Quint Heady, Colletta and Haueter each posting a pair of hits.
Haueter scored Spurlin on an RBI single in the seventh after Spurlin reached on a leadoff single. In the eighth, Tito Montgomery used a bunt single to plate Bohlen to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Charlie Jerger pitched a career-high 7.1 innings and held the Flames scoreless for a stretch of five-straight innings before UIC plated two in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.
NORSE NOTES:
In his last three starts, Ganns has pitched into the eighth inning and has totaled 28 strikeouts and seven earned runs in 22.1 innings of work for a 2.38 ERA.
Haueter's four RBI showing in game one was the third time this season a Norse has posted four or more RBI in a single game. Dominic Mercurio had five RBI against East Tennessee State on Feb. 28 while Anthony Vagnier drove in four against Western Illinois on March 5.
NKU out-hit UIC, 20-14, across both games. Heady extended his hit streak to eight games and has batted .414 (12-for-29) in that span.
