JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team fell to East Tennessee State on Friday evening by a final score of 6-2. The Norse are 0-1 to begin the year, while ETSU starts the season at 1-0.
 
AT THE PLATE

• Jake Richmond and Nolan Rattai each had a double in the game.
• Will Haueter hit a home run, and Dominic Mercurio and Cole Heavilin both added a hit in the contest.

 
ON THE MOUND

• Nick Beard got the starting nod for the Norse, and he pitched four innings.
• Freshman Kyle Service made his collegiate debut in the fifth inning, and he pitched two scoreless innings, while striking out two batters.
• Cameron Ross also pitched two innings in the contest, and he didn't allow a hit.

 
KEY MOMENTS

• ETSU's Chris Cook led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to left center. A groundout moved him over to third base, and Christian Bailey's single to right field brought Cook home to give ETSU an early 1-0 lead. Bailey also scored in the inning on a double by Caleb Longley.
• The Bucs added another run in the third inning on a home run by Longley.
• NKU got a run back in the top of the fourth inning. Rattai doubled in the inning, and he scored when Griffin Doersching reached on an error by the ETSU second baseman.
• ETSU plated three more runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to take a 6-1 advantage.
• Haueter hit a solo home run for NKU in the top of the ninth inning, but the Norse fell by a final score of 6-2.

 
NORSE NOTES

• It was the first game of 2018 for both teams.
• Doersching and Service made their collegiate debuts.
• Rattai, Heavilin and TJ Marik also made their debuts for NKU.
• ETSU had eight hits, compared to five for the Norse.
• Each team committed an error in the field.

 
UP NEXT

• The Norse will play ETSU in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.