DE PERE - St. Norbert College had a roller coaster day against nationally ranked Aurora University, gaining a split in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.
The Green Knights dropped the opener 17-0 but bounced back to take an 8-6 victory over the Spartans, who entered ranked No. 13 in the D3baseball.com Top 25.
St. Norbert had just four hits in the opener, while Aurora had 15 to pull away early.
Matt Perry was 2-for-3 for the Green Knights.
In the nightcap, the Green Knights struck early with four runs in the first inning.
Devin Geary and
Trevor Reinhardt were both hit by pitches to open the game, with Perry's well-placed bunt loading the bases.
Will DeBruin followed with a two-run single to center field to put runners at the corners. DeBruin then stole second base and went to third on a throwing error, with Perry scoring on the play.
Zach Bostrand's single through the right side brought DeBruin home for a 4-0 lead.
Aurora would score twice in the top of the fourth but the Green Knights got one run back when
Jaden Holgado opened the frame with a triple and scored on
Tyler Pigeon's groundout. St. Norbert took a 7-2 lead in the fifth when DeBruin launched a two-run home run.
Aurora countered with a pair of runs in the sixth inning but the Green Knights again answered with a run in its half of the inning, scoring on Geary's RBI single to score Pigeon, who had led off the inning with a double. The Spartans would attempts to mount a rally, scoring once in the eighth inning but leaving the bases loaded. Aurora then scored another run in the ninth and twice had the tying run at the plate, but St. Norbert closed out the win.
DeBruin was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and two runs scored. Perry was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Bostrand and Holgado were both 2-for-4.
Luke Steebs got the win, allowing nine hits and four runs with two strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Marty Walsh got the final four outs to register his sixth save of the season.
