RIVER FOREST, Ill. - St. Norbert College rallied to salvage a split of its doubleheader against Concordia University Chicago, dropping the opener 6-1 before taking the nightcap 11-8 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener for both teams at Cougar Field.

The Green Knights (7-9, 1-1 NACC) fell behind in the second game when the Cougars scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. St. Norbert got a run back in the second inning when Will DeBruin's single brought around Matt Perry. The Green Knights pulled ahead 3-2 with two runs in the top of the third inning, when DeBruin walked with the bases loaded and Huck Sprong was hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded. The Cougars would get a single run in the bottom of the third to tie it 3-3.

St. Norbert broke the game open with five runs in the top of the fourth inning. Sam O'Leary reached on an error and Devin Geary promptly followed with a two-run home run. Jaden Holgado reached on a bunt single, and two hitters later Matt Perry hit a two-run home run of his own. DeBruin walked with two outs and Sprong doubled him in to cap the rally.

Concordia would get two runs back in the fifth but the Green Knights answered with three in the top of the sixth. Zach Bostrand scored on a passed ball, while Carson Krumrei followed with an RBI single to score DeBruin. Holgado's sacrifice fly to bring around Sprong put the Green Knights ahead 11-5. The Cougars would get three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but would get no closer. Concordia would have two reach base in the bottom of the ninth inning but could not extend the game.

DeBruin led the Green Knights with a 4-for-4 performance, scoring two runs with two runs batted in. Holgado, Perry and Bostrand were all 2-for-5, while Geary was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Luke Steebs earned the win with two innings of relief, while Marty Walsh recorded the final out for his third save of the season.

In the opener, St. Norbert was held to one hit in the scheduled seven-inning game, a fifth-inning single by A.J. Kisting.

Concordia scored one in the third before St. Norbert got its run in the fourth inning when Holgado scored on a wild pitch. The Cougars got three runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth. All six of Concordia's runs were unearned.

Jace Midbon took the loss for St. Norbert, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings pitched.