The Northern Kentucky University baseball suffered a 12-1 setback at Florida Gulf Coast University in Atlantic Sun Conference play on Sunday afternoon in a lightning shortened contest.
NKU, which dropped to 17-30 overall and 5-13 in the Atlantic Sun, had seven different players record the team’s seven hits. Kyle Colletta finished 1-for-2 with one run scored and one walk, while Caleb Lonkard went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Quint Heady and Mike Moffat each recorded doubles in the series finale as David Head, Trey Ganns and Dominic Mercurio also collected hits for the Norse, who left seven runners on base.
Matt Jefferson (3-7) gave up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits over four-plus innings of work. He struck out one and walked two batters. Justin Watts pitched two scoreless innings of relief and allowed just one hit, and he struck out one batter and walked two.
For the second time in three days, FGCU jumped on the scoreboard first, scoring a run in the bottom of the third inning. Matt Reardon hit a one-out double to center field, and he went to third as Tyler Selesky grounded out to David Head at first base. After Nick Rivera drew a walk, an RBI single up the middle from Jake Noll allowed Reardon to score for a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles, who improved to 27-22-1 overall and 10-7 in the Atlantic Sun, added to their lead in the fifth. Bryan Voeikl recorded a lead-off single through the left side, and Reardon followed with a bunt single. Selesky walked to load the bases before Rivera doubled down the left-field line, which allowed Voeikl and Reardon to score. Selesky took advantage of a Norse fielding error and was also able to come home on the play for a 4-0 advantage.
After a Norse pitching change, Colton Bottomley was hit by a pitch to once again load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Blake Berger brought Rivera home, and a Noll scored on the second NKU miscue of the inning to push the Eagles ahead, 6-0.
NKU struck in the top of the seventh. Colletta drew a one-out walk, and Moffatt followed with a double to right field. Lonkard then hit an infield single, and Colletta came home. Dominic Mercurio singled to right field, loading the bases for the Norse and forcing an FGCU pitching change, but NKU was unable to generate any additional runs.
The Eagles added six runs in the bottom of the inning for the final margin of the game before lightening halted action in the top of the eighth inning with one out and eventually caused the contest to be called.
NKU hits the road for the final time of the 2015 season on Tuesday as the Norse travel to Lexington, Kentucky, for its fourth contest of the year against Kentucky. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Links to live stats and John Asalon’s audio broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com. The contest will air on the SEC Network as well.
The Norse complete regular season play with a three-game conference series at Lipscomb, beginning Thursday at 3 p.m.
From NKU Athletics