HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Chris Unkraut hurled a one-hitter Tuesday as Northern Kentucky University posted a 7-2 victory over West Virginia State College in the first game of a doubleheader at the Bill Aker Baseball Complex at Friendship Field.
Unkraut, a junior right-hander, surrendered a triple down the right-field line to Gerrad Talkington in the fifth inning. West Virginia State, however, would not collect another hit the remainder of the game.
Josh Perkins went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in to lead NKU, while teammate Ryan Wells added two hits and scored twice.
In the nightcap, Steve Kolcun scored all the way from second base when shortstop Robert Flinn booted Shaun Erie’s routine grounder to give NKU a 6-5 victory in eight innings. With one out, Kolcun lined a single to center, and he later stole second base.
After Chris Meyer struck out, Erie hit a grounder that Flinn misplayed. While Flinn searched for the ball, Kolcun rounded third and beat the throw to the plate as NKU won its fifth consecutive game.
Erie and Chris Osterkamp each had two hits for NKU, which improved to 27-22 overall. Justin Seiter picked up the victory in relief.
NKU will play a non-conference game at Ohio Dominican University at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Norse, 14-13 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, will conclude their GLVC schedule this weekend with a three-game series at the University of Southern Indiana.
NKU - currently in sixth place in the GLVC standings - will likely need to win at least two of those games at Southern Indiana to earn a berth in the GLVC Tournament. The top six teams in the standings will qualify for the GLVC Tournament.
NKU is the defending GLVC champion.
Shaun Erie