Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

WAYNE, Neb. - The Northern State University baseball squad handed head coach Dean Berry his 100th career victory and secured a series split with the Wayne State College Wildcats Sunday afternoon, splitting the series-ending doubleheader by winning Game 1 by a final count of 7-2 before falling 14-4 in the finale.

NSU improved to 4-12 on the season and 2-6 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action while the Wildcats moved to an even 9-9 overall and 2-2 after their NSIC opening weekend.

Northern State senior Lucas Jung gave the Wolves a solid boost on the mound with his complete-game performance in Game 1.  Jung surrendered just two runs on seven hits while striking out three to earn his first win of the season.  His lone mistake was allowing a 2-run home run in the bottom of the third that gave WSC its first and only lead of the game.

The Wolves responded quickly, plating three runs in the top of the fourth inning.  Newcomer Jose Figueroa doubled home Jack Thompson and Ronnie Sellers, who had led off the inning with back-to-back singles, with one out to tie the game.  Zach Miller followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Robbie Rocamora for what proved to be the winning score.

Rocamora also scored an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning on a wild pitch and the Wolves rapped out five one-out hits in the seventh to score another three runs to help seal the win.

Jung, for his part, allowed just two more hits after the third inning homer, neither of which did any damage to the scoreboard.

Figueroa went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the win, while Rocamora, Sellers and Thompson all finished with two hits apiece.  Senior center fielder Michael Cross knocked out a triple and scored in the seventh inning.

The Wildcat bats came alive in the second game, as they scored at least one run in every inning including a pair of 3-run stanzas and a 4-run third and never looked back.  After giving up two Northern State runs in the top of the first, WSC starter Reid Lancaster settled in to allow just two more runs on five additional hits for his third win of the year.

Designated hitter Patrick Burkhart inflicted most of the damage for the Wildcats, going 4-for-6 from the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored.  As a team, the Wildcats touched up all five NSU hurlers they faced for at least two runs each.  Starter Zach Miller absorbed the loss before leaving the game in the second inning.

Cross and Sellers each picked up two hits apiece for the Wolves.  Sellers drove in both NSU runs with his one-out, one-on homer in the first inning.

The Wolves are slated to begin a six-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting the University of Mary for a doubleheader and Augustana College in a four-game series next weekend.  Stay tuned to www.nsuwolvesathletics.com for all the schedule changes as they occur.