St. Norbert Splits at Carroll

From Sports Information Director, April 5, 2014 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

WAUKESHA - St. Norbert College split its opening Midwest Conference doubleheader of the season, topping Carroll University 12-1 before falling to the Pioneers 2-1 in the nightcap at Frame Park.

The Green Knights (10-5, 1-1 MWC North) scored in five of the six innings they batted in the opener. St. Norbert scored three runs on three hits in the first inning, with Travis Mason and Nick Pierre hitting RBI singles and Derek Klegin driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Mason had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, while Jose Godinez followed with an RBI single. The Green Knights pushed ahead 6-0 when Troy Rottier had an RBI single in the third inning.

Carroll scored once in its half of the fourth inning, but the Green Knights countered with four runs in the fifth, with Pierre's two-run single being the big blow. St. Norbert scored twice in the sixth, with Cameron Jerina hitting a sacrifice fly and Mason getting an RBI single.

Kevin Nutley got the win for the Green Knights, allowing four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Rottier and Chad Ljunggren both went 3-for-4, while Ljunggren scored three runs. Pierre was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Mason was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored.

In the nightcap, St. Norbert couldn't solve Carroll pitcher Brian Jones. Jones twirled a complete-game two-hitter, walking two with six strikeouts. Carroll snapped a 1-1 tie by getting an unearned run in the eighth inning. St. Norbert scored its only run on an Alex Larsen RBI double in the bottom of the seventh.

Matt Freeman took the hard-luck complete-game loss for the Green Knights, allowing seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts.