---Nathan Jones

By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information

FLORENCE, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University baseball team put on an offensive show in the sixth inning Tuesday afternoon against Kentucky Wesleyan en route to a 13-3 win in Great Lakes Valley Conference play.

After pitcher Nathan Jones turned away the Panthers in the top
half of the first, the Norse wasted no time getting themselves on the board. Jon Back and Kenny Wilson opened up with back-to-back singles followed by a walk to Kory Lonergan to load the bases.

Kevin Dusold followed with a bases-loaded double to right field to drive in three runs. Jake Shaffer’s sacrifice fly later drove in Dusold to make it 4-0 after an inning.

Both teams were quiet until the bottom of the sixth inning when
the Norse sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on eight hits. Evan McDole, a Bishop Brossart High School graduate, had two pinch-hit appearances in the inning, singling each time to drive in a total of three runs.

After a complete lineup substitution for both teams, NKU added one more in the eighth inning. Aaron Mentz was hit by a pitch to get on first base before senior pitcher Matt Marksbury singled to right in his
first collegiate at-bat. Jim Volpe followed with a first-pitch double to drive in Mentz.

Jones (3-3) pitched six shutout innings in the victory, giving up just two hits and picking up six strikeouts. Josh Lueke, David Armstrong and Adam Bell each pitched an inning in relief for the Norse. Chad Priar
(1-3) took the loss in the start for the Panthers, giving up four runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings.

NKU is now 19-19 and is at .500 for the first time this season. The Norse play a single game against Wilmington College on Thursday at 7 p.m. before returning to conference action this weekend against Wisconsin-Parkside.

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