Northern Kentucky University track and field athlete J.J. Webber earned Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honors, the league office announced, marking the second time during the 2015 outdoor campaign that he has received the accolade.
Webber took fourth in the 5,000-meter Open A-Race at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays on April 17 to garner the weekly award. Webber set a new program record of 13:55.57, smashing his own previous program high of 14:14.39 set earlier this season at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational.
The record-setting mark ranks 33rd overall in NCAA Division I and first on the A-Sun performance list. This is Webber’s fourth career A-Sun Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honor.
The Norse return to action at the Bluegrass Invitational hosted by the University of Kentucky on May 2.
Kuzinczci stars with five RBI, but Norse baseball loses to Aces
Cody Kuzniczci drove in five runs with two hits for the Northern Kentucky University baseball team as the Norse dropped a 9-6 decision to the University of Evansville in non-conference action on Wednesday.
Kuzniczci finished 2-for-5 with his fourth home run of the season for NKU, which fell to 13-24 overall. Quint Heady went 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored, while David Head and Caleb Lonkard each posted two hit days as well for the Norse, who recorded 12 hits and stranded 13 base runners.
Adam Jafine (0-1) took the loss on the mound, allowing three runs on six hits over three innings in his first start of the year. He struck out one batter and did not walk one. Jake Shaw pitched two hitless innings of relief for the Norse, striking out one and walking one.
Evansville scored three runs in the third and added two more in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead before NKU got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning. Heady hit a one-out infield single, and a fielding error by second baseman Tyler Sullivan allowed Head to reach base and Heady to advance to second. Kuzniczci followed with his second home run in as many days, sending a three-run blast over the left-field wall to cut the Norse deficit to 5-3.
The Aces extended their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame, but the Norse once again answered with three runs of their own in the sixth. Lonkard got the offense going with a one-out single to center field before Conor Ledger recorded a two-out infield single. Heady followed with an RBI-single to left field to bring Lonkard home, and Head followed with a single through the left side.
After an Evansville pitching change, a Kuzniczci single allowed Ledger and Heady to score to pull NKU to within one at 7-6.
Evansville, however, scored two unanswered runs for the final margin of the game on an RBI-triple by Ramon in the bottom of the sixth and a Kevin Kaczmarski home run in the eighth.
Kaczmarski led the way for Evansville, which improved to 21-16 on the year, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, one double and one home run. Perry, Ramon and Josh Jyawook each collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Aces, who finished with 13 hits and left 11 runners on base.
NKU wraps up its nine-game road trip at on Wednesday, April 29 with the second game of the season against Morehead State. First pitch from Allen Field is set for 6 p.m. Links to live stats and John Asalon’s audio broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com. Fans can also track the game’s progress by following @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter.
Bartolovich continues torrid streak as softball falls at Marshall
Kate Bartolovich and Paige McQueen combined for six hits and four RBIs as the Northern Kentucky University softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Marshall by scores of 9-2 and 6-3.
Bartolovich extended her hitting streak to five games with the performance. KC Straley added a double and Ashlynn Roberts chipped in with an RBI in the opener as the Norse fell to 5-35 on the season.
In game one, Marshall (31-11) used small ball to put up two quick runs in the first inning as back-to-back bunt singles from Morgan Zerkle and Kaelynn Greene set the table for two run-scoring plays as Zerkle scored on an Elicia D’Orazio sacrifice while Greene crossed the plate after a Shaelynn Braxton sacrifice fly. The Thundering Herd strung together six consecutive singles, three on bunts, to plate three more runs in the bottom of the second inning and extend their lead to 5-0.
The Norse made their response in the top of the fourth inning. Katelyn Roy reached on a throwing error by Marshall pitcher Jordan Dixon and scored on Bartolovich’s double to the gap in right-center field. McQueen followed with a single, moving Bartolovich to third and setting up Roberts’ RBI ground out to third base, cutting the Marshall lead to 5-2.
Roberts (3-13) struck out four in the contest for the Norse. Dixon struck out 15 Norse, surrendering two runs on four hits in the win.
In game two, Braxton picked up where she left off in the nightcap, driving in the game’s first run for Marshall on an RBI-single to left field to plate Green, who reached on a bunt single, one of two hits for the Herd’s left fielder. Marshall then took advantage of four hits and two Norse errors to score four runs in the second inning.
Again, the Norse struck back in the fourth, this time on a two-out rally. Sydney Ferrante drew a walk and Roy was hit by a pitch to put ducks on the pond for Bartolovich, who cashed in the pitching mistakes with a RBI-single to center field. McQueen followed with a two-run single of her own, bringing the Norse to within two runs at 5-3.
Zerkle drove in the game’s final run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-bunt single to score Kylie Howard, who doubled to left field to open the inning. The Norse got runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t convert them into runs.
Alyssa Enrique (0-8) gave up a pair of unearned runs and struck out one in the loss for the Norse.
NKU returns to Atlantic Sun Conference play this weekend, traveling to face South Carolina Upstate in a three-game series. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s finale each have a 1 p.m. start time with all three games being broadcast live on ESPN3.
From NKU Athletics