HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky baseball team cruised to a 14-5 victory in game one of a doubleheader against Valparaiso on Friday and clubbed 14 total hits in the contest. Valparaiso responded with a victory of its own, defeating the Norse, 17-4, in game two.

TJ Alas and Trey Ganns both batted 4-for-9 (.444) in the doubleheader with Ganns posting five RBI, all coming in the first game. Ganns, Jake Richmond and Dominic Mercurio each clubbed a pair of home runs on Friday.
The Norse trailed 2-1 through two innings of game one but came back with a four-run third to take control and lead the rest of the way. NKU put together a six-run eighth to put the game out of reach of the Crusaders.

At the Plate

• Four Norse had a multi-hit game led by Ganns, who was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two home runs. Ganns had a game-high five RBI.
• Jake Richmond was 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored.
• TJ Alas was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI.
• Will Haueter also had a pair of hits while Mercurio had a home run and two RBI.
• NKU out-hit Valpo, 14-12.

On the Mound

• The Norse used just two pitchers in the victory with starter Jean-Francois Dionne tossing 6.0 innings with nine hits and four runs. He walked one and struck out four as he allowed just two runs throughout his first four frames.
• Menfee tossed the final 3.0 innings and gave up three hits and one run. He walked three and fanned two.

Key Moments

• An RBI double from Trey Ganns put NKU up, 1-0, in the first before a solo homer and RBI single put Valpo in the lead, 2-1 in the next half inning.
• The Norse scored four runs on four hits in the third inning, including a solo home run from Richmond, a Ganns RBI double and two-run homer off the bat of Mercurio.
• NKU's 5-2 lead stuck until the top of the fifth when Valpo scored two to come within one run of NKU.
• The Norse were quick to counter with a two-run home run from Ganns to lead 7-4.
• Richmond's second homer of the game came in the seventh as the Norse went on to score six runs on six hits in the eighth. The eighth inning was highlighted by Ganns' second home run of the game and a two-run double from Alas.

• The Norse totaled nine hits in game two led by Alas, Mercurio and Chad Roberts who had two hits apiece. Mercurio and Roberts each had a double and a home run.
• Mercurio led the Norse with two RBI while Roberts had one.
• NKU stranded nine runners on base after stranding just two in game one.

• Starter Brody Basilone allowed six hits and four runs in 4.0 innings pitched. He had two strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
• Valpo managed three runs against reliever Travis Rowland who was relieved by Cameron Ross. Ross tossed 2.0 innings with two hits and one run.
• Seth Rosenberg contributed a hitless and scoreless seventh.
• Charlie Jerger tossed 1.2 innings and was relieved by Joe Martin who picked up the final out of the game.

• Valparaiso never trailed in game two, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first.
• A Mercurio RBI double tied the game at one apiece in the third, but Valpo would score seven runs across the fourth and fifth innings to break it open. The Crusaders managed three home runs across the pair of innings, which included a three-run bomb in the fourth. They led 8-1 through five.
• NKU scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh before Valpo put together a nine-run eighth to seal the win.

• So far this week, Ganns has batted 7-for-14 (.500). Each of his hits have been for extra bases as the junior has clubbed four doubles and three home runs. He has five runs scored and nine RBI this week.
• NKU has posted three-straight errorless games.
• Mercurio, who leads NKU with a .336 season batting average, has hit a home run in each of the last three games. He has six RBI this week.
• The Norse have 32 home runs across 14 Horizon League games, averaging 2.29 homers per League contest.
• Ganns has set Division-I era single-season records in home runs (11) and RBI (41).
• TJ Alas has reached base in 28-straight games.

• The Norse close out the weekend with a doubleheader against Horizon League foe UIC on Sunday at noon at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex.