Green Knights Battle Back to Split With Benedictine

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, April 12, 2017 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College battled back to gain a split with Benedictine University in a pair of non-conference games at Larry Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex. Benedictine took the opener 5-2 before the Green Knights rebounded for a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

St. Norbert (15-7) took a 1-0 lead in the second game when Derek Klegin scored on an error in the first inning. The Eagles (13-10) took a 2-1 lead by scoring single runs in the second and third innings.

The Green Knights then fashioned a four-run fifth inning. Andy Peterik reached on a bunt single, followed by Ray McDonald's base hit. Jacob Raeder drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Klegin hit a sacrifice fly to score Peterik. Hunter Larson singled to reload the bases for Tyler Banovich, who tripled to right-center field to clear the bases and a 5-2 edge.

Benedictine got a run back in the top of the sixth on a Hunter Kiser solo home run, but the Green Knights kept the Eagles at bay down the stretch to secure the win.

Larson led St. Norbert at the plate going 2-for-4. The Green Knights finished with seven hits.

Grayson Madey picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two hits and one run with two strikeouts. Jake McMahon worked the last two innings to earn the save, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.

In the opener, St. Norbert took a 1-0 lead on a Griffin Jack RBI single. But Benedictine brought out the heavy lumber the next two innings, hitting four home runs to account for its five runs.

The Green Knights got a run back in the fifth inning on a Banovich single, but would get no closer.

Blake Rutherford took the loss, allowing five hits and five runs in 2 1/3 innings. Carson Jacques finished up with 4 2/3 of scoreless relief, allowing four hits.

Banovich was 2-for-2 for St. Norbert, which had six hits.