OXFORD, Ala. — The Northern Kentucky baseball team picked up its first win in 2025 in a big way on Friday afternoon, as the Norse took advantage of four Bellarmine errors to put together big innings in the series opening win over the Knights. 

NKU plated 11 runs over the final four innings in the win. 

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Northern Kentucky - 13, Bellarmine - 7
LOCATION: Choccolocco Park (Oxford, AL)
RECORDS: Northern Kentucky: 1-3 (0-0 Horizon) | Bellarmine: 0-4 (0-0 ASUN)

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

• Conner Linn took the ball for the Norse and twirled a gem in his second start of the season. The left hander threw six innings, giving up three runs (just one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out seven Knights to pick up the win. 
• Out of the bullpen, Jake Johnson threw 0.2 innings of scoreless relief, with Jared Teke, Shawn Parnell, and Bobby Bartlett also pitching for the Norse. 
• In the batters box, seven different Norse notched hits, with multi-hit efforts from Tyler Shaneyfelt, Gabe Miranda, Josh Williams, and Jake Altman. 
• Gabe Miranda provided a huge spark for the Norse with a towering, three-run home run that put NKU on top for good in the fifth. 
• Sam Bond finished 1-4 with three RBI on the day. 
• Both Jake Altman and Tyler Shaneyfelt finished 3-5. 
• Brennan Rowe finished 1-4 with an RBI. 
• Mark Nowak notched a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch, and scored all three times he reached base. 
• Mark Nowak, Gabe Miranda, Brennan Rowe, and Jake Altman each stole a base in the win. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 1-0, the Norse plated a pair of runs in the home second, first on an error before Nolan Sparks grounded out to score Brennan Rowe, putting the Norse ahead 2-1.
• In the fifth, NKU plated five runs. Gabe Miranda's three-run homer plated the first three, and a Jake Altman single plated another before Altman stole second and Brennan Rowe raced home on the throw for the fifth run of the frame. 
• In the sixth, Sam Bond singled down the left field line to score a pair as NKU's lead grew to 9-3. 
• After Bellarmine plated a pair of runs and started to gain momentum in the 7th, Jared Teke stranded three Knights on the base paths to end the frame. 
• Bellarmine scored another run on a wild pitch in the eighth, but the Norse countered back with a four spot in the home half. 

UP NEXT

• NKU goes for the series win on Saturday as they take on the Knights in game two at 1 PM ET. 

FOLLOW NKU NORSE BASEBALL
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