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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information FLORENCE, Ky. – When the Northern Kentucky University baseball team loads the bus for the season’s final road trip, the Norse may want to make a seat available for their newest teammate, “Mo.” The Norse will certainly bring some added momentum along with them to Saint Joseph’s after sweeping Wednesday’s non-conference doubleheader against No. 24-ranked Southern Indiana. The Norse took the opener, 4-1, before winning the nightcap, 4-2. Game 1 marked the first career start for NKU pitcher Kevin Jordan, who was fresh off his longest outing of the season on Sunday against Wisconsin-Parkside. Jordan had his breaking ball working like clockwork, freezing his first three strikeout victims of the day. All told, the sophomore fanned six Eagles on the day. The Norse took an early lead on Kevin Dusold’s RBI-single in the bottom of the first to score Jon Back. The teams would then trade runs in the third, with the Eagles plating one on a misplay at shortstop by Back. Pat Muth got the run back in the bottom half with his second home run of the year, a towering shot over the left-field wall. Jordan then settled into a groove, retiring nine of the next 10 USI batters in order. His teammates widened the gap with a run in the fourth on Jack Ambrose’s RBI-single, and one more in the fifth when Larry Pempek’s picture-perfect bunt-single scored Muth. Things got dicey for Jordan in the seventh after a walk and a hit batter to lead off the inning. USI’s Garrett Oros’s one-out single then loaded the bases for Royale Beach, who bounced into the 1-2-3 double play to end the game, a 4-1 victory for the Norse. Jordan (3-0) went the distance, scattering five hits. USI’s Cory Julian (5-4) took the loss, giving up four runs on eight hits in four innings of work. Game 2 saw the Eagles jump out early with runs in the second and third innings. After Oros slapped an RBI-single to center in the third, Devon Bouvier legged out a leadoff triple to left field that turned into a scoring play when Back’s relay throw skipped past Muth at third and into the USI dugout. Back would not make the same mistake twice however, as Josh Huebner attempted the same run one batter later and wound up the victim of a laser strike from Back. After Jack Ambrose opened the fifth with a walk, Jason Cisper turned what would have been a sacrifice bunt into an infield single. However Ambrose slid into second and immediately clutched his knee. Ambrose was helped off the field and replaced by Aaron Mentz, who scored NKU’s first run of the game on a Back RBI-single. After Muth walked to put Back in scoring position, Evan McDole came through in the clutch, slapping a hard single just past the outstretched-glove of first baseman Matt Pleiss and into right field to score the senior. Dusold followed up with single to left to plate Muth and give the Norse the lead. Jeff Bohlen added an insurance run to give NKU the 4-2 final score. Cody Besselman pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief to pick up his first win of the season. Matt Winterhalter earned his second save after two innings of scoreless relief. Andy Karpowicz started the game and gave up one earned run in four innings. The Norse (30-20) will close the season in Rensselaer, Ind., in a four-game series against Great Lakes Valley Conference East division-leading Saint Joseph’s. First pitch on Saturday and Sunday is scheduled for noon. |
