NKU, MKE Survive Elimination Games on Day One of the #HLBASE Championship
DAYTON, OHIO – The 2023 #HLBASE Championship began on Wednesday with No. 5 seed Milwaukee and No. 3 seed Northern Kentucky opening up with victories, eliminating No. 4 seed Youngstown State and No. 6 seed Purdue Fort Wayne.
No. 5 Milwaukee 12, No. 4 Youngstown State 3
Milwaukee defeated Youngstown State, 12-3, in the opening game of the #HLBASE championship. The Panthers were led offensively by their middle infielders as shortstop Marcus Cline went 3-for-6 with a double, home run and drove in five runs, while second baseman Mark Connelly went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and drove in two more runs. The pair combined for three runs scored as well. Starting pitcher Riley Frey went 7.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six.
The Penguins got the scoring started as Ian Francis drove in Horizon League Freshman of the Year, Matt Thompson, with a double in the bottom of the second. Cline then hit his solo shot to right in the top of the third to equalize the game. Milwaukee’s Nate DeYoung and Tommy Benson both picked up a RBI to give the Panthers the lead in the top of the third.
The ‘Guins made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fourth as Andre Good hit a triple to right-center field, and came around to score on a wild pitch. MKE pushed its lead to 4-2 on a Connelly RBI-double in the top of the fifth followed by Cline driving in three runs with a double for a five-run advantage.
The Panthers extended their lead to seven as Connelly and Carson Hansen both picked up RBIs in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Cline picked up his fifth RBI of the game with a single to left field to make it 10-2. In the top of the eighth, Milwaukee’s Jake Novak hit a two-run shot to right field to extend the lead to double-digits.
Travis Perry of Youngstown State took the loss as he went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks, while striking out three.
Milwaukee will face No. 1 seed Wright State in the first game on Thursday, May 25 at 11 a.m ET.
No. 3 Northern Kentucky 6, No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Heading into the top of the eighth, Northern Kentucky held a 4-2 lead over Purdue Fort Wayne. Purdue Fort Wayne’s Tyler Nelson drove a ball to deep right-center field for a ground-rule double, scoring Ben Higgins to bring the Mastodons within one.
Northern Kentucky went to the bullpen as they called upon Casey Maniglia, who induced PFW’s Jarrett Bickel into an inning-ending double play. The Norse’s starting pitcher Ben Gerl went 7.1 innings as he allowed three runs on seven hits, one walk, while striking out seven.
In the bottom of the eighth, Northern Kentucky tacked on two insurance runs as Treyvin Moss grounded-out, but helped a run cross the plate, before John Odom roped a RBI double to left-center field. In the top of the ninth, Northern Kentucky’s Logen Devenport closed the door on the Mastodons as he picked up his fifth save on the season.
Getting the day started, the Norse’s Liam McFadden-Ackman drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first. Purdue Fort Wayne tied the game in the top of the third off of Jacob Walker’s sacrifice fly to right field.
Northern Kentucky took control of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as Moss hit an infield single to third to knock in a run and Odom laced the first of two doubles to drive in two runs to take a 4-1 advantage. Odom drove in a total of three of the Norse’s six runs on the day. Purdue Fort Wayne immediately responded in the top of the fifth as Higgins smoked a single through the right side of the infield to bring in a run.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s Mac Ayers took the loss, as he went 4.0 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks. Ayers also struck out two batters on the day.
Northern Kentucky advances to Thursday as they will take on the No. 2 seed Oakland in the second game of the day at 3 p.m. ET.