ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Jim Reiter’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning snapped a 6-6 tie Saturday and gave the University of Missouri-St. Louis a 7-6 win over Northern Kentucky University and a sweep of the doubleheader.
NKU had rallied from an early 5-1 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 with two runs in the top of the eighth inning, and the Norse appeared to be on the verge of taking the lead when Ryan Wells hit a deep drive to left-center field with two out and the bases loaded. Reiter, however, made a diving catch of Wells’ drive to end the inning and keep the game tied at 6-6.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tony Grana led off with a walk against NKU reliever Justin Seiter. After stealing second, Grana scored the winning run when Reiter singled down the right-field line.
Shaun Erie collected three RBI to pace the NKU offense, while teammate Jerrod Fraley added two hits and an RBI. The Norse, however, committed four errors that led to three unearned runs against starter Geoff Freeborn, who pitched seven innings and finished with six strikeouts.
In the opener, Matt Kueny and Colby Hughes combined on a five-hitter as Missouri-St. Louis posted a 4-1 win over NKU. Aaron Brown’s two-run single in the fourth inning snapped a 1-1 tie and sparked the Rivermen to the victory.
NKU starter Mike Marksbury went the distance and allowed just four hits. He also walked seven batters and struck out six in six innings of work.
Missouri-St. Louis improved to 25-6 overall with the sweep, and the Rivermen lead the Great Lakes Valley Conference with a 13-3 record. The Rivermen are ranked No. 11 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, and they are No. 1 in the NCAA Division II North Central Region poll.
NKU dropped to 19-15 overall, 11-7 in the GLVC. The Norse will conclude the three-game series with Missouri-St. Louis with a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.
Shaun Erie