St. Norbert Gets Big Doubleheader Sweep of Chicago

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, April 27, 2019 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College remained in the hunt for a Midwest Conference Tournament berth with a doubleheader sweep of the University of Chicago by scores of 10-5 and 7-5 at Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.

The Green Knights (15-14, 10-4 MWC North) can clinch a MWC Tournament berth with at least a split against the Maroons (18-8, 6-4) Sunday in De Pere.

St. Norbert fell behind 1-0 in the opener when Chicago got a single run in the top of the third inning but quickly took the lead in the bottom half. The Green Knights parlayed three walks into four runs when Sean Ferraro cranked a grand slam for a 4-1 lead. St. Norbert took a 6-1 lead in the fifth after a Griffin Jack RBI single, with Jack later scoring on a wild pitch. The Green Knights added another run on a sacrifice fly from Ferraro in the sixth inning.

Chicago rallied with three runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to get to within 7-5, but St. Norbert added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to salt the game away. Max Van Boxel had a two-run single and Peyton Jack a run-scoring single.

Brett Reinhart was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Griffin Jack was 2-for-5. Ferraro was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and five runs batted in. Tommy Maher earned the win, allowing seven hits and four runs with one walk and three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings pitched. Nick Klavekoske pitched 1 1/3 innings to record the save.

In the nightcap, Chicago scored a run in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. That run would hold up until the bottom of the fourth inning when Griffin Jack had an RBI single to tie the game 1-1. St. Norbert then scored six runs in the fifth inning. The Green Knights loaded the bases with no outs, leading to Reinhart's two-run single. Van Boxel followed with an RBI single, and Peyton Jack drilled a three-run double to put St. Norbert ahead 7-1.

Chicago would make it interesting scoring four runs in the top of the eighth, but Carson Jacques got a big strikeout with the bases loaded to escape the jam. Jacques allowed nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched. Ben Kohl got two strikeouts in the ninth for the save.

Reinhart was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Kohl was 2-for-5.