ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Northern Kentucky Baseball team (15-24, 12-18 Horizon League) split a pair of games with Oakland (14-24, 8-19 Horizon League) on Saturday afternoon at Oakland Baseball Field. NKU took game one by an 8-6 margin, while Oakland closed out the day with a game-two victory, 15-2.
GAME 1: Northern Kentucky 8, Oakland 6
AT THE PLATE
- Griffin Doersching had a fantastic start to the day, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks and a whopping 5 RBIs. One of his hits became home run No. 13 for him this season.
- John Odom picked up where he left off on Friday, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
- Sam Hedges (2-for-5) was the third Norse with two hits.
- Jayden Wakeham (1-for-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI), Brennan Gick (1-for-4, 2B), Billy Marion (1-for-4) and Noah Fisher (1-for-2) also registered a base hit.
ON THE MOUND
- Kyle Klingenbeck (W, 5-5) went six innings deep for NKU, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks. He also had the only three Norse strikeouts in the game.
- J.T. McGee allowed two earned runs and recorded one out in relief.
- Kaleb Meeks (S, 2) notched the save, allowing just one hit while recording the final two outs.
KEY MOMENTS
- Oakland plated two runs in the first, but Northern Kentucky came back with a monster second inning.
- Gick was the first on base for NKU in the second with a double to right-center, followed by a walk by Fisher. Odom and Hedges then brought in back-to-back singles, with Hedges plating one.
- Doersching stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and worked a 3-1 count, allowing himself to crush a ball to left field for a home run, giving NKU a 5-2 advantage.
- Wakeham followed Doeraching with a home run of his own to give the Norse a four-run cushion.
- Fisher and Odom represented two runs of insurance in the fifth, batting singles back-to-back. A fielding error and walks, both of which were on 3-2 counts, from Doersching and Wakeham plated both.
- Oakland fought back with three-total runs in the sixth and seventh, but were unable come back for the win.
GAME 2: Oakland 15, Northern Kentucky 2
AT THE PLATE
- Sam Hedges went 2-for-5 and drove in both Norse runs.
- Luke Murray had his first two-hit performance in as many at-bats.
- Camden Brandt (1-for-3) was the only other Norse with a hit.
ON THE MOUND
- Bryson Lonsbury (L, 0-3) started for the Norse, working the mound for three innings and giving up eight runs.
- Blaine Walters relieved him, giving up seven runs and recording two outs.
- Kurt Lange pitched the final 4.1 innings for NKU, allowing just two hits.
KEY MOMENTS
- After two scoreless innings, Oakland took off and plated eight runs in the third.
- The Golden Grizzlies' success continued an inning later with seven runs coming in.
- Northern Kentucky made it on the scoreboard in the fifth. Brandt led off with a double and McFadden-Ackman walked, allowing a Hedges single to plate one.
- NKU drove in another run in the seventh after Murray singled through the left side as a pinch-hitter. A Hedges single up the middle brought him home.
UP NEXT
- The Norse finish out their series with the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
