FOND DU LAC – St. Norbert College finished its regular season with a split at Marian University, grabbing a late 3-2 win in the opening game after trailing 2-0 for most of the game and was edged 9-8 in the final game of the season in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Joe Braun Field.
The Green Knights (19-20, 9-15 NACC) took the win in the first game thanks to a ninth inning 2 RBI home run from Will DeBruin (pictured), his seventh of the season. The second game featured several lead changes, with St. Norbert recovering from a 6-2 deficit to take a 7-6 lead before being downed in the final game of the year.
Marian scored one run each in the first two innings, and held the 2-0 lead until the seventh inning. A Jake Lucas double scored Matt Schuch, with DeBruin nearly tying the game on the same play, but was called out at home to prevent the impasse. St. Norbert took its first lead of the game thanks to DeBruin's home run in the ninth, scoring Ethan Volz as well.
Zach Bostrand finished with two hits in the win. Jace Midbon picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching a complete game with six strikeouts and allowing two runs on 10 hits.
In the nightcap, the Green Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles from Declane Kane and Zach Bostrand. The Sabres took the lead in the third on a home run, holding a 3-2 lead and grew the lead in the fifth to lead 6-2.
Five runs in the sixth gave St. Norbert a 7-6 lead, with three singles from Bostrand, Carson Krumre and Mark Othmer each scoring one run. Krumrei tied the game after a Marian error, while Schuch scored on a wild pitch to regain the St. Norbert lead. Marian stole the lead in the bottom of the frame to lead 9-7.
A big hit from Kane in the ninth cruelly hit the fence to stay in play, resulting in a double instead of a home run. A single from Bostrand did score Tyler Dean to make it 9-8, but following the play the Sabres forced three consecutive outs to take the win.
Bostrand went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, while Dean went 3-for-4. Cooper Dykes took the loss, pitching one inning and allowing three runs on four hits.
