DAYTON, Ohio – Northern Kentucky baseball advanced to the second day of the Horizon League Baseball Championship with a thrilling walk-off win over No. 5 seed Oakland, 9-5.
Preston Pilat delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the ninth inning. NKU advances to 15-40 on the season while Oakland ends its season at 11-37.
At the Plate
- Oakland used 10 hits to plate its eight runs, while the Norse clubbed nine hits.
- Billy Marion and Pilat both had multi-hit games for the Norse. Pilat was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four driven in, also drawing a pair of walks.
- Marion was 2-for-3, both of which were doubles, with a run scored and one driven in.
On the Mound
- Sam Williams started for the Norse, spending 5.0 innings on the mound. Williams struck out six batters and walked a pair.
- Joe Martin pitched the sixth inning for the Norse, allowing three runs on two hits.
- Kyle Service closed the game out and earned the win, striking out three batters and walking two. Service allowed just one hit and no runs and moves to 2-7 on the season.
Key Moments
- Oakland got on the board first as a pair of singles put the Golden Grizzlies up by a run in the opening inning.
- The Golden Grizzlies went up 2-0 in the third off a sac fly.
- NKU answered back in the bottom of the third inning with a pair of runs to tie the contest. Andrew Bacon scored on a fielder's choice and Jake Murray later reached home thanks to a sac fly by Pilat.
- Oakland used an RBI triple and a two-run homer to pull ahead by three runs in the fifth. NKU scored in the bottom half of the inning as Jayden Wakeham pinch hit and singled up the middle to drive Griffin Doersching in, but the Golden Grizzlies added three more runs to their count in the top of the sixth with a two-RBI single and a run off a wild pitch.
- The Norse plated another final run in the seventh inning as Marion doubled to left field, sending Pilat home.
- Pilat clubbed his fifth home run of the season in the eighth inning, and the Norse kept it going in the ninth as Marion added his second double before being driven in by Griffin Kain.
- With two outs, Bacon and Haueter were walked to load the bases, and Doersching drew a walk to bring the Norse within a run. Pilat then delivered a two-run single up the middle to give the Norse the walk-off victory.
Up Next
NKU is back in action tomorrow, facing either No. 1 seed Wright State or No. 2 seed UIC. If Milwaukee wins its upcoming game against Youngstown State, the Norse will be the lowest remaining seed and will take on the Raiders at 11 a.m. ET. Should Youngstown State win, NKU will play UIC at 3 p.m.
#TakeNotice
