---Jeff Bohlen went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and his third home run of the season to help the Norse to a 9-4 win over Southern Indiana.

By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information

SAUGET, Ill. - Facing the end of its season, the Northern Kentucky University baseball team pulled together a 9-4 victory over No. 26-ranked Southern Indiana to stay alive in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

The Norse got on the board early when Jeff Bohlen took a 1-0 pitch over the right-field wall. NKU would add two more in the third after back-to-back two-out singles by Kevin Dusold and Evan McDole scored Brian DeCarlo and Jon Back, respectively, to extend the lead to 3-0.

Jason Cisper extended the advantage to four after leading off the fourth inning with his first home run of the season, a high fly ball that just carried over the wall in right field.

Southern Indiana answered in the top of the fifth with their first run. After a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases, NKU pitcher Ryan Schmidt zipped a pitch a bit too far inside, clipping Matt Pleiss on the elbow to end his shutout bid. It signaled the end of the day for Schmidt, who pitched just 4 1/3 innings and did not qualify for the decision.

The Norse got the run back in the bottom half with Bohlen's leadoff single. After Bohlen took second on a wild pitch, he took third on Jake Shaffer's sacrifice bunt and came home on Dusold's sacrifice fly.

The Eagles scored two more in the top of the seventh on Alex Theiroff's bases-clearing triple, his fourth of the season, but the Norse responded once again in the bottom half on McDole's RBI-single, followed by a bases-loaded walk to score Bohlen.

Shaffer added the exclamation point in the top of the eighth with a laser-shot two-run home run to right field to give the Norse the final score.

Kevin Jordan (4-0) was the winning pitcher, going 2 2/3 innings in relief, striking out two. Matt Winterhalter earned his third save with two perfect innings and two strikeouts. Schmidt fanned seven batters in
his start.

Eight NKU starters ended the game with at least one hit, with Bohlen going 3-for-4 with four runs scored to lead the way. Back, Dusold and McDole each claimed two hits.

Cory Julian (5-5) took the loss for Southern Indiana, giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out five NKU batters.

Northern Kentucky (34-22) moves on to play the loser of Friday's Bellarmine-Saint Joseph's matchup. With rain a continual threat, a first-pitch time has not yet been set.

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