Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Alton, Ill. – After falling by a score of 7-3 in the opening game of the series, Northern State bounced back in game two to score a 6-5 win over McKendree on Saturday afternoon. Complete statistics for both games will be available by tomorrow morning.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Game 1: NSU 3, MU 7
Final Score Game 2: NSU 6, MU 5
Records: NSU 4-5, MU 5-7
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• McKendree was the first team to put a run up on the scoreboard as they scored three in the bottom of the second inning
• Northern State got a run back in the top of the third inning as Gus Radel reached first on a fielder's choice and scored Austin Portner from third base
• The Bearcats extended the lead to five runs in the bottom of the third as they scored three more runs off a pair of doubles
• The Wolves did their best to chip away at the deficit by putting up two runs in the top of the fifth inning as Kai Brisk hit a double down the right field line to score Jack Paulson and a sacrifice fly by Karson Hesser allowed Niko Pezonella to tag up from third to score and cut the lead to 6-3
• A solo homerun by McKendree capped the scoring in game one as the Bearcats would earn a 7-3 win
• Northern State scored their three runs off eight hits and did not commit an error defensively
• Brian Baker (1-2) suffered the loss in his third start of the season, pitching 2.1 innings on the mound

 NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS – GAME 1
Niko Pezonella: 3-for-4, 2 doubles, 1 run scored
Kai Brisk: 1-for-2, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 RBI
Blake Ask: 3.2 innings pitched, 2 strikeouts
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Tyler Kimm drew a hit-by-pitch in the top of the first inning with the bases loaded, allowing Austin Portner to cross home plate and give Northern State the early 1-0 lead
• The Wolves added another run in the top of the third as Kai Brisk doubled down the left field line to score Jack Paulson and push the lead to 2-0 before McKendree got one run back in the bottom half of the inning to make it 2-1
• In the top of the fourth inning a triple by Austin Portner scored Mateo Tahsini, and an RBI single to shortstop by Jack Paulson the next at-bat scored Portner to extend the lead to 4-1
• The Bearcats kept chipping away at the lead late as a pair of runs in the bottom of the eight cut the lead to one run at 4-3
• Northern tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth as Karson Hesser reached base safely on a fielder's choice to score Jackson Meyer and an RBI single by Drew Benson scored Portner to extend the lead to 6-3
• A double down the left field line would score two for McKendree and make it a 6-5 game with the game tying run on third base, however Northern would end the game the next at-bat as the Bearcat runner was caught stealing at home plate
• Northern State scored their six runs off six hits and committed three errors defensively
• Michael Chevalier (2-0) earned the win on the mound in his third start of the season, pitching 7.0 innings while striking out nine Bearcat batters

 UP NEXT
Northern State and McKendree will complete the 4-game series back at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Alton, Illinois, tomorrow. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and final game of the series is set to follow at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.