St. Norbert Gets Split With Benedictine

From Sports Information Director, March 20, 2015 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - St. Norbert College salvaged a split with Benedictine (Ill.) University in a pair of hotly contested games at Chain of Lakes Stadium. Benedictine won the opener 4-3 before the Green Knights bounced back to take the nightcap 4-2.

St. Norbert (7-3) slowly pulled away from the Eagles in the nightcap, scoring once in the second and third innings and twice in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Troy Rottier scored in the second inning on a double-play ball, and Derek Klegin had an RBI single in the third inning. Brandon Kozinski had an RBI single in the fourth inning, and Robbie Dombrowski followed with a run-scoring double.

The Eagles picked up a run in the fifth inning but were set down in order in the last two innings. Blake Rutherford picked up the win for St. Norbert, allowing just one hit in 4 1/3 innings while walking two and striking out two. Matt Zacharias allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Nate Schadrie worked a perfect seventh for the save.

Rottier was 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Green Knights, who had eight hits.

St. Norbert built a 3-1 lead in the opener. The Green Knights scored twice in the third inning on an RBI single from Spencer Larson and a run-scoring double from Tyler Banovich. The Green Knights added a run in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Rottier. Benedictine rallied with two unearned runs in the fifth and won the game with a run in the seventh.

Klegin, Banovich and Tyler Brown all had two hits apiece for St. Norbert. Brett Nohr took the loss, allowing seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a complete-game effort.