Green Knights Clinch MWC Tournament Berth

From Sports Information Director, May 2, 2013 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College clinched a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the 11th time in the last 12 years with a 6-3 win over Beloit College at Mel Nicks Field.

The Green Knights (22-10, 10-3 MWC) had their second game of the scheduled doubleheader rained out. A decision has not yet been reached on when the game will be made up.

St. Norbert took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brandon Kozinski's RBI single drove in Carlos Rodriguez. Troy Rottier's squeeze bunt later in the inning scored Cameron Jerina.

The Buccaneers answered with two runs in the top of the fifth, but St. Norbert got those two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Alex Larsen brought Jose Godinez home on a sacrifice fly, and Travis Mason scored from third when Kraig Perlberg was hung up in a rundown between first and second.

The Green Knights added runs in the seventh and eighth inning. Mason tripled and Nick Pierre hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Chad Ljunggren's RBI single scored Jerina in the eighth.

Matt Freeman picked up the win for St. Norbert, going 8 1/3 innings and allowing 10 hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Kevin Nutley got the last two outs for his first save of the season.

Larsen was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. Godinez, Mason, Jerina and Kozinski were all 2-for-4, with Jerina posting two stolen bases. Ljunggren was 2-for-5 and also had two stolen bases.