JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Northern Kentucky University baseball team (1-2) snapped a 21-game skid dating back to the 2019 season by splitting a doubleheader with ETSU (2-1). The Buccaneers took game one, 3-2, in a pitching duel, while NKU emerged victorious, 4-2, in the second game.
GAME 1: ETSU 3, Northern Kentucky 2
AT THE PLATE
ON THE MOUND
- Kyle Klingenbeck impressed in his Norse debut, putting together a 6.1-inning quality start. He had two earned runs, five hits, four walks and six punchouts.
- Tyson Shaw (L, 0-1) allowed the winning-run to get on base. He tossed for 1.2 innings, giving up just the one hit.
- Noah Richardson threw five pitches in the ninth, walking two.
- Kurt Lange went to the mound to finish out the game, throwing the game-ending wild pitch after striking out one.
KEY MOMENTS
- Doersching was impactful early from the three-hole, drilling a solo home-run to left field in the leadoff inning.
- With Klingenbeck keeping ETSU scoreless from the mound, Romans continued his solid play from a day ago with a homer to left-center, extending the Norse lead to 2-0 in the top of the third.
- Klingenbeck wheeled through the Buccaneers' order until ETSU finally scored with a home run in the sixth.
- ETSU homered again to begin the seventh. After a single and a groundout put a runner in scoring position, Shaw replaced Klingenbeck on the mound and finished out the inning without another score.
- Doersching was on base thanks to a walk at the top of the ninth, but Bacon lined out to second, causing a double play to end the Norse half of the inning.
- In the bottom of the ninth, a leadoff double given up by Shaw and a wild pitch by Richardson put a runner on third with no outs. After Richardson walked another batter, the Norse intentionally walked to load the bases for the force-out at home. Lange came in to strike out one and make the double play available, but a wild pitch ended the Norse's chances.
GAME 2: Northern Kentucky 4, ETSU 3
AT THE PLATE
- Noah Fisher was the hero of game two, belting a triple for two RBIs.
- Although he was 0-for-3 in his debut, Bryce Thomas lined out to bring one home for the sacrifice hit.
- Doersching was 1-for-3, hitting a double in the fifth frame.
- Michael Hall had a double in a 1-for-4 outing.
- Marion was the only other Norse to get a hit.
ON THE MOUND
- Nick Noble (W, 1-0) had a solid effort tossing the ball for the Norse. He gave NKU a strong five innings, yielding just a couple of runs off of two hits and a walk.
- Bryce Smith made his Norse debut, retiring two batters through a double play, while allowing a hit and two walks.
- Tyler Ollier (S, 1) went 3.1 innings on the mound for NKU, going scoreless until allowing a run in the final inning. He allowed just two hits and had three strikeouts.
KEY MOMENTS
- ETSU had the first score in game two when the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch. Two stolen bases later, the Buccaneers scored thanks to a groundout to second base.
- A single, a groundout and then another single, respectively, gave the Buccaneers their second score an inning later.
- The Norse were patient to open up the fourth frame, getting three-consecutive walks through Doersching, Bacon and Marion. With Romans at the plate next, a wild pitch sent Marion home.
- In the next at-bat, Thomas lined out to left field for the sacrifice score, plating Bacon.
- The Norse sent the fourth inning even more out of control as Fisher smacked one to right-center for a triple, bringing home both Marion and Romans, respectively, giving the Norse a 4-2 edge.
- A leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth caused Smith to enter the game for Noble. Smith pitched the grounder he wanted and picked up a 6-4-3 double play to clear the bases. Shortly after, it was a tense situation when a single and two walks loaded the bases for ETSU. Ollier replaced Smith, who made it out of the jam with a strikeout.
- Ollier retired the ETSU side in order in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
- In the final inning, ETSU doubled and singled on back-to-back at-bats to make it a one-run game, but Ollier took care of business for the save.
UP NEXT
- NKU plays Lipscomb and Belmont next weekend in Nashville, Tenn. The Norse will first square off with Belmont on Friday at 5:00 p.m.