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By Mike Anderson, NKU Sports Information CRESTWOOD, Ill. - The 2008 season of Northern Kentucky University baseball ended on Saturday after the Norse fell by a 4-1 score to Wayne State (Mich.) University in an elimination game at the NCAA North Central Regional. The Norse finished the season at 38-24, 11 wins better than their 2007 campaign. The game once again boiled down to getting, and maintaining, an early lead. The Norse got their first shot in the top of the first after Jon Back's leadoff double. Back moved to third on a groundout by Jake Shaffer, but the Norse could not drive him in. Wayne State got on the board in the bottom half after NKU starter Ryan Schmidt dotted Drew Churchward on a 2-0 pitch to open the inning. Churchward was then sacrificed over and took third on a wild pitch before Ryan LaPensee got his first of two RBIs on the day on a groundout to second. NKU threatened again in the second, loading the bases after Larry Pempek reached base after a misplay at third, followed by back-to-back singles from Jason Cisper and Pat Muth. Brett Hofmann responded with a fly out to shallow-right field that Pempek could not score on, and Back grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning with the bases loaded. The Warriors got two more in the third on RBI-doubles from Churchward and LaPensee to take a 3-0 lead before the Norse finally got on the board in the fifth when Jeff Bohlen singled through the right side, stole second and reached third on the errant throw to catch him. The Chicago Heights, Ill., native would come around to score on an RBI-groundout by Shaffer. Wayne State got one more in the eighth inning when LaPensee tripled to the deepest part of center field and scored when Hofmann's relay throw to third skipped past Bohlen and into the WSU dugout. NKU attempted a two-out rally in the ninth with a single by Back and a walk issued to Bohlen, but Shaffer popped up to third base to end the season. WSU starter John Kessick (4-2) threw 141 pitches in the complete-game victory, scattering eight hits and walking two while fanning three Norse. Five of WSU's eight hits went for extra bases, with LaPensee going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple. Schmidt (6-3) took the loss for NKU, giving up three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Schmidt also picked up four strikeouts. Back went 3-for-5 on the game, tying an NKU school record by appearing in his 60th contest of the season, while Jason Cisper was 2-for-4. The Norse stranded 11 runners on the contest. |
