HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. -- The Ohio baseball team (7-29, 4-14 MAC) fell 11-8 in a close midweek matchup at Northern Kentucky (16-19, 6-6 Horizon) on Tuesday, April 14.
Ohio scored eight runs on six hits with one error, while Northern Kentucky recorded 11 runs on 11 hits with two errors.
Fifth-year infielder Will Henson (Chicago, Ill.) led the Bobcats at the plate with three hits, including a homer, a double, and two runs scored. Senior outfielder Cam Hill (Chicago, Ill.) was also effective from the plate, reaching base twice, including a two-run homer in the sixth.
Freshman lefthanded pitcher Evan Lichtenauer (Newark, Ohio) was Ohio's most effective arm out of the bullpen on Tuesday, pitching two and a third innings while allowing just two runs on five hits. Senior left-handed pitcher Dillon Masters (New Albany, Ohio) and junior righty Hunter Brooks (Jamestown, Ohio) combined for two scoreless innings out of the pen in the eighth and ninth to keep Ohio in the game.
The Norse came out hot, scoring six runs in the first inning to jump out to a substantial lead.
The Bobcats chipped away at a six-run deficit in the second inning when a sac-fly from redshirt junior infielder Cam Bryant (Miamisburg, Ohio) brought home Henson, who reached via a double earlier in the inning.
Northern Kentucky got the run they surrendered right back in the third inning when they extended their lead to 7-1.
Ohio rallied in the fifth, tallying four runs after loading the bases with one out to start the inning. Henson recorded the big hit of the inning when he sent a three-run homer over the left field wall to bring the Bobcats within two at 7-5.
As they had earlier in the game, the Norse once again responded, this time with three runs to extend their lead to 10-5.
The back-and-forth between the two offenses continued into the sixth inning when a homer by Hill brought in two more runs for the Bobcats, shortening the Norse lead to just 10-7 going into the game's final three innings.
The Bobcats continued to chip away at the deficit with a run in the seventh. Junior outfielder Taylor Harris (Parrish, Fla.) started the inning with a double and would later score on a sac-fly from Henson.
Northern Kentucky would add another run in the seventh, extending its lead to 11-8, which was enough to put away Ohio.
Up next, the Bobcats will go on the road for a conference series at Central Michigan. That series will start on Friday, April 17 at 3 p.m.
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