Ferraro's Grand Slam Lifts St. Norbert Past Lawrence

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, April 7, 2019 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College senior outfielder Sean Ferraro cracked an eighth-inning grand slam to power the Green Knights to a 12-9 win over Lawrence University in a Midwest Conference North Division game at Larry Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.

The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was suspended due to rain in the third inning with Lawrence holding a 6-5 lead. The game will be completed at 3:45 p.m. Monday in De Pere.

The Green Knights trailed the Vikings 9-7 entering the bottom of the eighth inning after Lawrence rallied with a four-run seventh inning and a two-run eighth inning. St. Norbert started its rally with a Griffin Jack walk and Max Van Boxel getting hit by a pitch. Brett Reinhart's sacrifice bunt was then thrown down the right-field line, allowing Jack to score and putting runners at second and third with no outs. Following a popout, Isaac Gerhardt was intentionally walked. Ferraro then rode Chris Shaw's offering into the trees beyond the left-field fence to set off a wild celebration at home plate.

Nursing a 12-9 lead, Tommy Maher needed just eight pitches to set the Vikings down in order to record the save.

Lawrence scored a run in the first inning but St. Norbert countered with three runs in the second inning. Peyton Jack's single drove in Reinhart, who opened the frame with a double. Jack Maastricht then laced a two-run single through the left side to score Jack and Ferraro, who had walked.

The two teams traded single runs in each of the third and fourth innings. Van Boxel had an RBI single in the third, followed by a Griffin Jack single in the fourth. The Green Knights pushed their lead to 7-3 with two runs in the fifth inning, with Peyton Jack driving in a run on a single and Lucas Reynolds lofting a sacrifice fly.

St. Norbert finished with 13 hits, with five players getting two apiece. Maastricht, both Jacks, Reinhart and Ben Kohl all had multi-hit games. Reinhart scored three runs, while Ferraro and both Jacks scored two runs apiece.

Bryce Braspennickx earned the win with an inning of relief.