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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information CRESTWOOD, Ill. - The last four times that Northern Kentucky University and Bellarmine have faced off on the baseball diamond, just one run separated the two teams. The result was no different on Friday, as Bellarmine prevailed, 7-6, in Game 5 of the NCAA North Central Regional tournament. The loss places Northern Kentucky (38-23) in an elimination game on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on nkunorse.com. The Knights got to NKU starter Sean Munninghoff early, as a pair of hit batsmen and a single loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning. Shane Noble grounded into a fielder's choice to score one, while a double-steal on a failed pickoff scored a second run. The Norse responded, as they would throughout the game, with a run in the bottom half of the frame when Evan McDole's RBI-double drove in Jon Back. The teams traded runs in the third inning, with Bellarmine getting another run on a Noble ground out, while Brett Hofmann led the Norse half of the inning off with a triple to right-center field and was driven in one batter later on Back's single up the middle. Bellarmine got two batters on by virtue of walks in the fifth inning, signaling the end of the day for Munninghoff. Kevin Jordan came on for the Norse and gave up an RBI-single to Patrick Brady. Noble picked up his third RBI of the day on a single through the right side, while Ben White's RBI ground out gave Bellarmine a three-spot on the scoreboard. NKU retaliated with a two-out double from Jeff Bohlen to score Brian DeCarlo and Jon Back and cut the lead to 6-4. Controversy surrounded Brady's RBI-double in the seventh inning, as NKU centerfielder Jason Cisper appeared to make a catch near the wall. However, a white ball against a white backdrop proved to make the play difficult to see, and Brady was awarded the double to stretch the lead to three runs. Northern Kentucky clawed back with a pair of runs on the strength of a two-run single from Hofmann to plate Cisper and Evan McDole, who had walked to start the bottom of the seventh. The NKU pitching and defense were solid in the late innings as the Norse retired 10 of the last 11 batters they faced, but the Norse could not capitalize on strong positions, grounding into an inning-ending double play in the eighth and stranding the tying run on third to end the game. Ryan Krull (3-5) got the win for Bellarmine, giving up two runs and walking three in one inning of work. Robbie Reaves, who had a complete-game victory over the Norse earlier in the year, worked 4 2/3 innings in the start, giving up four runs on seven hits. Munninghoff (1-3) was saddled with the loss for NKU, surrendering five runs on three hits while striking out two. Jordan went four innings as well and was touched for six hits and two runs. Eric Braeckel worked a perfect ninth inning, fanning two batters. Hofmann was solid offensively, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Back and Bohlen each had a pair of hits as well, with Bohlen driving in a pair. |
