Mastodons Drop All Three to NKU in League Opening Series

Highland Heights, KY – Baseball season is in full swing, and the Horizon League conference season is upon us. The first weekend of the league season saw the first place Northern Kentucky Norse take on the last place Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons. The last 5 games between these two school have not been decided in 9 innings – with the last 4 games being decided by the 10 run “run-rule” in less than 9 innings. The Mastodons losing streak this season and against the Norse would continue as PFW would drop all three games of the weekend series to the Norse.

Game 1 (March 14) – The Mastodons (1-15, 0-1 HL) dropped the first Horizon League game of the season to the Northern Kentucky Norse (10-6, 1-0 HL) by a score of 2-5. The Mastodons were held scoreless until the top of the 9th inning where they were able to plate their lone pair of runs.

Graduate student Dillon Fischer got the nod to start the game on the mound in his homecoming to the Cincinnati area. Fischer recorded 9 K’s (7 swinging) on 114 pitches in 6.1 innings. All five runs scored by the Norse were earned to Fischer. His replacement, (R) Sophomore Cole Newell, recorded 3 more strikeouts in the remaining 1.2 innings with no hits.

On the offensive side, the ‘Dons couldn’t seem to figure out Starter Kaden Echeman. Echeman tossed 7.0 innings of no run, 2-hit ball with an impressive 12 K’s on the afternoon. The Mastodons would double their hit total against Reliever Logan Wilson, ending the afternoon with 6 total hits.

Starting third baseman Freshman Drew Helton was the only player on the PFW squad to record multiple hits on the day (2-4) including his RBI single up the middle in the 9th. The other RBI came a batter earlier when Senior Dylan Chargo roped a double down the right field line to score sophomore Justin Osterhous.

Team Stats:

PFW – 2 R, 6 H (2B Chargo), 0 BB, 13 K, 2 E (Karczewki, Helton)

NKU – 5 R, 8 H (2B Miranda, Rogers. 3B Miranda, HR Devenport), 1 BB, 12 K, 1 E (Wilson)

Game 2 (March 15) – Purdue Fort Wayne (1-16, 0-2 HL) continued to struggle offensively in the second game against Northern Kentucky (11-6, 2-0 HL). Once again, the Mastodons had to go multiple times through the order to see their first run on the board in the 8th inning. The Norse would plate 5 runners in 6 innings to secure their second Horizon League victory 5-1.

Junior Zane Danielson would start for the Mastodons on the bump. Danielson would pitch well for the first 5.2 innings until a Jake Paulick homerun would force a pitching change. Danielson would pick up the loss on 102 pitches, 4 hits, 5 K’s, 2 walks, and 5 runs (4 ER). The call to the bullpen would see Senior Carson Caudill take the mound, but only to record the final out of the 6th inning. Freshman and Cincinnati native Trent Murphy would pitch the remaining 2.0 innings for the Mastodons. Murphy and Caudill would combine for 3 hits and Murphy would record 3 K’s on his own.

The lone Mastodon run would come in the 8th inning when (R) Junior Colton Shirley would single into right field. The next batter, Freshman Sage Adams, would also single, but this time through the left side of the infield, and Shirley would advance to third. Sophomore Kevin Hall would earn the RBI when he lifted a fly ball into left field deep enough for Shirley to tag up and score.

Left-hander Conner Linn would pick up the win on the mound for the Norse. Linn would only need 82 pitches to get through 7.2 innings of work. Linn would pitch a nearly harmless only allowing 1 earned run on 7 hits and 3 K’s. Just as efficient, Aaron Massie would only need to throw 10 pitches for the final four outs of the game in his relief of Linn.

Team Stats:

PFW – 1 R, 7 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 3 E (Helton (2), Kasparie)

NKU – 5 R, 7 H (2B Paulick, HR Paulick), 2 BB, 8 K, 0 E

Game 3 (March 16) – The baseball seemingly looked like a beach ball to the Northern Kentucky Norse (12-6, 3-0 HL) in their 20-5 (7 innings) stomping of the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (1-17, 0-3 HL) to secure the 3-game sweep in the first Horizon League series of the season.

Unfortunately for the Mastodons, starting pitcher (R) Senior Rex Stills would not last long in this game. Stills would only be able to record 1 out on 43 pitches, 4 hits allowed, and 1 strikeout looking. Compounded by an early error and 2 walks, the nail in the coffin for Stills’ day would be a 1-out grand slam over the left field wall by Nolan Sparks.

The Mastodons would use 7 pitchers in the afternoon game, and no pitcher would throw over 50 pitches. Each pitcher would also record at least 1 earned run. Freshman Tyson Greenwood would come in after Stills for 2.2 innings of work. Sophomore Sean Kasper would throw 49 pitches in 1.2 innings, and Freshman Aidan Pearson would get the game into the 6th inning before being pulled after 0.2 innings. The next two pitchers for the Mastodons would not record a single out, and Freshman Carter Orner would record the final two outs for the Mastodons on the mound.

The bright spot in this game for PFW is the 5 runs that they plated. After getting down 10-0 in the bottom of the third, the Mastodons looked to play chip away in the 4th. Center Fielder (R) Junior Ryan Jenkins would double to center field driving home Sophomore Grant Sawa and Freshman Drew Helton – each singled in the inning to get on base. The Mastodons would add three runs in the 5th when Senior Jackson Micheels would score on a wild pitch by NKU’s Evan Fry. In the same at-bat, (R) Sophomore Augusto Schroeder would poke a hit out to centerfield scoring Shirley and Sawa.

Team Stats:

PFW – 5 R, 7 H (2B Jenkins), 8 BB, 6 K, 1 E (Sailors)

NKU – 20 R, 17 H (2B Miranda, Bond. 3B Rogers. HR Paulick, Rogers, Sparks.), 5 BB, 3 K, 1 E (Fry)

The Mastodons’ 1-17 (.054) start to the season is the worst record through 18 games in the Division 1 Era. The Mastodons started 2-16 in the 2022 season. The Mastodons finished 18-36 (.333) that season. The worst season in school history was in 2019 when the Mastodons started the season 4-0, but then finished the season 7-45 (.135), including a 21-game skid.

Coming Up This Week – The ‘Dons have a meeting with the Falcons of Bowling Green State University (13-5, 6-0 MAC) on Tuesday, March 18. The Mastodons and Falcons have met 21 times before with the Mastodons only victorious 5 times. The last win over BGSU came back in 2007. The game is scheduled to start at 3:00pm ET at Steller Field in Bowling Green.

The Mastodons will continue their road trip with a 3-game weekend series against the Youngstown State Penguins (2-16, 1-2 HL). Last season, the Mastodons and the Penguins split the regular season series. Each team was 3-3 and 1-2 at home. The Penguins would win the tiebreaker game in the Horizon League tournament 12-10 to end the Mastodons’ season.