The NKU baseball team entered the Easter weekend series with Purdue Fort Wayne having taken two of three from Youngstown State on the road and a non-conference matchup win against Southern Indiana at home. The schedule makers did the Norse no favors sending them back on the road for a matchup against the Mastodons (6-31 overall, 5-12 Horizon League), with the positive being that the home team was losers of six straight.
The NKU bats were ready for the challenge as they arrived in town, and they wasted no time in sweeping the series and giving the Norse their sixth win in their last seven games and making the ride home heading into the holiday that much more enjoyable.
The Norse jumped out to a quick lead in the opening game as they plated three in the top half of the third thanks in part to a 3-run double by Gabe Miranda. A Jake Paulick double to left field in the top of the fourth plated another run and NKU was up 4-0.
Paulick wasn’t finished as he drilled a 2-run homer to left center in the top of the sixth and the Norse lead was a comfortable 6-0.
The Mastodons did their best to chisel away at the NKU lead by scoring one in the bottom half of the eighth and three more in the bottom of the ninth, but they could not push any more across the plate and NKU closed it, winning 7-4.
Miranda and Paulick both drove in three runs on the day. Kaden Echeman got the start for the Norse and ended up going 4.0 strong innings, holding Purdue Fort Wayne scoreless while striking out seven and only walking three. Shawn Parnell picked up the win pitching 3.0 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out one and walking one.
NKU got off to a quick start in the second game as Logen Devenport launched a solo homer to right field putting them up 1-0 early. The Mastodons wasted no time in getting on the board themselves as they scored six in the first inning and another two in the second inning to open up an 8-1 lead.
A Tyler Shaneyfelt RBI double cut the Purdue Fort Wayne lead to 8-2, but the Mastodons plated two more to go up 10-2 heading to the fifth inning and giving the impression the home team was heading for a win.
The Norse had other ideas as the top half of the inning saw them begin their comeback. Noah Sparks’ RBI sacrifice fly scored Devenport to cut the lead to 11-3 heading to the top half of the sixth inning.
Devenport would get in on the action again as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded scoring another run and pulling the Norse to within 11-4. Miranda followed that up with a hit by pitch of his own that scored Brennan Rowe and NKU was within 11-5 and had the bases still loaded.
Up walked Josh Williams and after working the count to 1-and-2, he proceeded to launch one to deep right field for a grand slam cutting the Mastodon lead to 11-9.
After Purdue Fort Wayne added one in the bottom of the sixth, NKU took the air right out of the stadium as Josh Williams sent a 3-2 pitch to center field for a 3-run homerun tying the game up at 12-12.
A Logen Devenport two-run homer in the top of the eighth, scoring Tyler Shaneyfelt, put the Norse in the lead for the first time since the top of the first. Paulick followed that up with a 3-run homer of his own to extend the NKU lead to 17-12. Rowe would add a 2-run shot of his own and NKU had completed one of their best comebacks winning 19-14.
Williams was unofficially the player of the game as he went 4-6 on the day, scoring 3-runs and knocking in seven. Logen Devenport went 4-4 with 5-runs scored all while knocking in four. Paulick finished 1-1 on the day with 3 RBI. Bobby Bartlett (3-2) got the win for NKU going 1.2 innings while giving up no runs.
The series finale saw NKU fall behind early 4-0 after four innings. The Norse bats woke up in the fifth when Devenport launched a 2-run homer to left center field, plating Shaneyfelt and cutting the Mastodon lead to 4-2. Williams followed that with a solo homer of his own to right field and NKU was back in the game at 4-3.
Williams continued his torrid hitting in the top of the seventh as he tripled to right field on a 1-0 count, scoring both Miranda and Shaneyfelt and the Norse were back on top at 5-4.
After holding Purdue Fort Wayne scoreless in the bottom half of the seventh, NKU added to the score, a result of an RBI single from Shaneyfelt bringing the score to 6-4.
A Shaneyfelt stolen base and Fort Wayne throwing error allowed Brennan Rowe to score and the Norse pushed their lead out to 7-4. A Mastodon wild pitch scored Shaneyfelt from third to make it 8-4.
The Norse tacked on two more in the top of the ninth on a 2-run double by Rowe to account for the final score of 10-4.
Shaneyfelt went 3-5 in the finale with two runs scored. Williams was 2-5 with 3 RBI and one run scored. Rowe finished the day 2-5 with 2 RBI. Nolan Sparks and Sam Bond each got two hits on the day.
Aaron Boster got the start for NKU going 3.2 innings, giving up 4-runs while striking out seven. Ryan Pehrson got the win for NKU pitching 2.0 scoreless innings and striking out four.
With the series sweep, NKU improves to 22-16 overall and 11-7 in the Horizon League and is now in second place, five games behind conference leading Wright State.
From Dizzy’s Desk:
“It was a very good series win. We showed resiliency once again, it was a complete team effort. Our bullpen had a great weekend as well, Ryan Pehrson, Gerald Hanson, Evan Fry and Shaun Parnell did great. Josh Williams and Logen Devenport had a great weekend at the plate.”
Next Up:
NKU will remain road warriors to begin the week as they head out of conference to take on Ohio University in Athens, OH. The Norse will return home next weekend as they welcome in Oakland for a 3-game series.
