Cody Kuzniczci finished 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and one RBI to lead the Northern Kentucky University baseball team to a 7-4 victory over Xavier University in nonconference action at Hayden Field on Friday.
Kuzniczci led three NKU batters with multi-hit days as David Head went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored and Caleb Lonkard recorded two hits, drove in one run and stole one base for the Norse, who improved to 7-14 overall. The Norse offense accumulated 12 hits against Xavier, which dropped to 8-17 on the year, and left seven base runners stranded.
Evan Korson (2-2) went five innings on the mound in his first start of the season for NKU, and he gave up three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Tyler Miller earned his first save of the season, going three innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits. Miller struck out two batters and did not walk one.
NKU wasted no time scoring as the Norse put five runs on the scoreboard in the first inning. Cole Bauml reached on a fielding error by first baseman Ethan Schmidt, and Kyle Colletta followed with a single to left field. A Cody Kuzniczci double to right field allowed Bauml to score for the first run of the game.
Trey Ganns grounded out, but Colletta came home on the play and Kuzniczci advanced to third. David Head drove Kuzniczci home with a single through the right side before Ryan LeFevers followed suit to send Head to second.
Anthony Vagnier’s bunt single loaded the bases, and a sacrifice fly by Brad Bohlen allowed Head to put NKU ahead, 4-0. The final run of the inning came on a Caleb Lonkard a 0-1 shot up the middle that brought LeFevers home for an early 5-0 Norse lead.
Head’s first home run in an NKU uniform was a two-run blast over the left-field wall, which brought Kuzniczci around as well after he doubled to left-center field, came in the top of the second inning to stretch the advantage to 7-0.
Xavier got in on the scoring action in the bottom of the fourth inning. A one-out single from Schmidt sparked the Musketeers’ offense, but he was taken off the base path when Derek Hasenbeck reached on a fielder’s choice. Patrick Jones drew a walk, and Selby Chidemo sent a single up the middle to allow Hasenbeck to score. Rylan Bannon was walked, loading the bases, but Nate Soria flew out to end the threat.
The Musketeers struck again in the fifth. Brian Bruening sent a 2-2 single up the middle before he stole second. Andre Jernigan singled through the right side to plate Bruening to bring Xavier to within 7-2. Schmidt followed with a single to left center, sending Jernigan to third, and Jernigan scored on a Hasenbeck sacrifice fly to cut the Norse lead to 7-3. A ninth-inning single from Jernigan brought home Joe Forney, who singled to lead off the frame, for the final margin of the game.
Schmidt went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch to lead the Musketeers, who recorded 11 hits and left 11 men on base. Jernigan finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Forney also collected two hits on the day and scored once.
Brad Kirschner (2-4) took the loss on the mound for Xavier. He gave up seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts and one walk over four innings of work. Greg Jacknewitz pitched five innings of scoreless relief, scattering two hits, striking out five and walking one batter.
NKU and Xavier return to Hayden Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. for Game 2 of the series. Sunday’s finale from the Bill Aker Baseball Complex has been moved to a noon start time due to weather concerns. Links to live stats, John Asalon’s audio broadcast and the ASun.TV broadcast are available at NKUNorse.com. Fans can follow @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter as well for in-game updates.
From NKU Athletics