Doersching ties NKU record with nine RBI, Norse hold off Youngstown State, 16-13

NKyTribune staff

Griffin Doersching tied a Northern Kentucky University single-game baseball record by driving in nine runs Friday as the Norse outslugged visiting Youngstown State, 16-13, in Highland Heights.

Doersching also homered three times and scored four runs for the Norse, who pounded out 19 hits and improved to 14-32 overall. The nine RBI tied the school record that was set in 2001 by Matt Mason during current NKU head coach Todd Asalon’s first season as the Norse skipper.

NKU owned a 13-5 lead in the fifth inning following Doersching’s three-run homer. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound freshman added a two-run blast in the seventh to give the Norse a 16-10 cushion.

Youngstown State scored three times in the eighth inning to cut the NKU lead to 16-13. The Penguins finished with 20 hits, but a game-ending 6-4-3 double play erased a potential rally in the ninth inning.

Chad Roberts went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Will Haueter was 3-for-5 and scored three times. NKU is 9-16 in Horizon League play, while Youngstown State is 15-32 overall, 8-16 in the Horizon League.

NKU and Youngstown State meet Saturday at 1 p.m. in the second of the three-game weekend series.