HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Four Norse had multi-hit games to help lift the Northern Kentucky University baseball team over Horizon League foe Youngstown State, 15-8, on Friday afternoon at Bill Aker Baseball Complex. NKU clubbed 13 total hits, including five home runs, as it remained undefeated at 4-0 in conference play.
 
NKU is now 9-16 (4-0) on the year while Youngstown State falls to 5-17 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
 
At the Plate

• TJ Alas had five RBI to tie Kyle Colletta for the most RBI in a single game this season. Alas laced a pair of home runs and a double as part of a 3-for-5 showing with four runs scored.
• Will Haueter was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
• Chad Roberts matched Haueter with a pair of hits, one of which was a two-run homer, to go along with two RBI.
• Jake Richmond started the contest 2-for-2 and ended up reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.
• As a team, NKU hit .400 on the afternoon, but was out-hit by the Penguins, 18-13.

On the Mound

• The Norse pitching staff struck out 10 and walked none on Friday.
• Norse starter Jean-Francois Dionne went four full innings, giving up four runs off eight hits. He fanned five to tie his season-high.
• Charlie Jerger took over in the fifth and tossed 3.0 frames, striking out two. He gave up four runs off eight hits.
• Seth Rosenberg took to the mound in the eighth and struck out two, retiring the Penguins in order.
• Cameron Ross closed the game, giving up two hits in the ninth before fanning the final batter.

Key Moments

• The Norse scored seven runs on seven hits across the first two innings, knocking three homers in that span. Meanwhile, YSU was held scoreless by Dionne.
• Richmond led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored on Alas' first homer of the day in the next at-bat.
• In the second frame, Mike Moffat went yard on a 3-2 count to extend the Norse lead to 3-0. The hit was the first of five in the inning as NKU scored two on a Haueter double and a two-run homer from Roberts for the commanding 7-0 edge.
• Youngstown State joined the hit parade in the top of the third with three solo home runs to trail 7-3.
• Another Penguin run in the fourth cut NKU's lead down to three, but NKU quickly countered with three runs in the fourth, highlighted by Alas' second home run - a two-run shot to right-centerfield - for a 10-3 lead through four.
• Following a two-run blast off the bat of Trey Ganns in the sixth, a three-run, five-hit seventh from the Penguins closed the gap to 12-8.
• The Norse scored in each of its final three innings to seal the win.

Norse Notes

• The Norse scored at least one run in all but two innings on Friday. Their 15 runs scored are the most since February 28, 2016 when they scored 21 in a 21-12 win at East Tennessee State.
• NKU's five home runs are a season-high. Alas had the first multi-homer game since May 15, 2016 when Quint Heady clubbed a pair, also against Youngstown State.
• The Norse are batting .338 as a team with seven doubles and 10 homers in their four Horizon League games. The NKU offense has also walked (20) more than they have struck out (16). Meanwhile, the Norse pitching staff has walked just six batters and struck out 28 in League games.
• Ross made his third appearance in conference play and has not allowed a run in his 6.0 total innings pitched vs. League foes.
• The only other remaining undefeated team in the Horizon League is Wright State, which sits atop the standings at 6-0 entering a weekend series against Oakland.

Up Next

• Northern Kentucky will continue the League series at home against Youngstown State on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex. NKU is looking to clinch its second-straight conference series.