HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky baseball (13-17 Overall, 11-12 Horizon League) split its series against Youngstown State (18-17 Overall, 13-12 Horizon League) with an 18-6 loss on Sunday afternoon. The loss keeps the Penguins at fourth in the Horizon League standings and increases the gap between the two teams in the battle for the final spot in the Horizon League Tournament. 

AT THE PLATE 

• Northern Kentucky hit .206 (7-of-34) and was out-hit 20-7. 
• Billy Marion (2-for-4) was the only Norse to end with multiple hits. 
• Sam Hedges (1-for-2), Griffin Kain (1-for-2), Jackson Haas (1-for-1), Liam McFadden-Ackman (1-for-4), and Bryce Thomas (1-for-1) ended with a hit apiece. 
• Haas and McFadden-Ackman both hit home runs on the day. McFadden-Ackman's came in the first while Hass' came in the ninth. 

ON THE MOUND 

• Bryson Lonsbury saw his third start in seven appearances. 
• Lonsbury tossed 2.1 innings and fanned a pair of batters. He also gave up one run on two hits. 
• Bryce Smith earned his second appearance as he came on for Lonsbury with a lone out in the second. 
• Smith saw 0.2 innings and picked up a lone K against three batters. 
• Michael Bohlen (L, 0-1) started the fourth inning on the mound, giving him his second appearance. Bohlen only tossed 0.1 innings and gave up two runs on a pair of hits. He was also credited with the loss. 
• Kaleb Meeks was the fourth Norse pitcher to see action, giving him his sixth appearance. Meeks faced four batters and gave up three runs on four hits. 
• Tyson Shaw was the third NKU pitcher to see the mound in the fourth inning. 
• Shaw tossed 1.0 inning and gave up three runs on one hit. Two of the runs were scored after he was relieved. 
• Nick Noble came on with a lone out in the top of the fifth. Noble tossed 1.2 innings, gave up one run and fanned a pair of Penguins
• Tyler Ollier was given pitching duties to begin the Norse side of the seventh. He threw 14 pitches against four batters and gave up three runs. Two of those runs were scored after being subbed off.  
• Blaine Walters relieved Ollier with no outs in the seventh. Walters tossed one inning, struck out one batter and walked another. 
• To begin the eighth, TJ Graves came onto the mound. Graves dealt 13 pitches, 11 of which were balls. He also gave up three runs on one hit. 
• With no outs in the eighth, Kurt Lange became the tenth pitcher for NKU to see the mound. Lange saw one inning and gave up one run on two hits. 
• Doersching made the switch from first base to pitcher to start the final inning of play. This was his first-ever appearance atop the mound. He fanned a pair of batters and allowed one run on two hits. 

KEY MOMENTS 

• After a hit and a pair of walks, the Norse had the bases loaded with no outs in the first. The Penguins' pitcher escaped the jam by striking out the next two batters, while the final batter flied out to left field. 
• McFadden-Ackman cleared the center-field wall with one out in the second, putting the Norse on the board. The homerun is the first of his career.
• The Penguins opened up a lead in the fourth inning as they piled on five runs. The first came by way of a home run, the next three were scored on RBI hits, while the fifth run was scored on a RBI sac fly to left field, making it a 6-1 game.  
• YSU put up three more runs on three hits in the fifth. They also earned a lone run in the sixth with no outs. 
• Youngstown State hit its second home run of the day on the first batter of the eighth. 
• Northern Kentucky finally got back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a RBI triple from Kain. 
• Youngstown State hit a pair of home runs in the eighth, scoring four runs.
• YSU scored the final run of the game on a RBI triple with two outs in top of the ninth. 

UP NEXT 

• Northern Kentucky will remain at home next weekend for a four-game series against Wright State. Game one will be played at noon on Friday, game two and three will be played as a doubleheader on Saturday and is scheduled for first pitch at noon. The final game is scheduled for Sunday and is also slated for noon. All of the games will air on ESPN+