NORMAL, Ill. – Northern Kentucky pushed across a run in the top of the ninth inning to send Missouri S&T's baseball team to a 3-2 loss Friday night at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional and into an elimination game Saturday afternoon.

Zac Asman's base hit down the right field line drove in Bradley Vandergras to break a 2-2 tie in the ninth, moving S&T into a game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Wayne State (Mich.). If S&T (30-18) wins that game, it will play again at 7 p.m. against the loser of the NKU-Grand Valley State game with a chance to reach the regional championship game.

Following three scoreless innings, the Norse broke on top with an unearned run in the fourth.   Brian Erie reached on an error to start the inning, eventually reached third with two outs, then scored on an error on a ball hit by Vandergras.

NKU scored another unearned run in the fifth, as Brad Clement doubled with one out, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Bryan Rose's groundout to first.

The Miners got an unearned run of their own to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth. Andy Hall (Rolla, Mo./Rolla HS) reached base on an infield single with two outs, then Nick Burke (Good Hope, Ill./West Prairie HS) hit a ball up the third base line that was fielded by Erie, but his throw to first was wild and rolled all the way into the bullpen, allowing Hall to score from first.

S&T tied the score an inning later, as Will McCord (Kingman, Ariz./Kingman HS) doubled into the alley in right center to start the frame, then Drew Davenport (McHenry, Ill./McHenry West) followed by ripping a double past third to score McCord with the tying run. However, the Miners stranded Davenport to keep the game tied after six innings.

John Auble (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) replaced S&T starting pitcher Chris Bowe (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) in the seventh and retired the first seven batters he faced, but he walked Vandergras with one out in the ninth. Brett Cisper followed with a single, then Asman dropped a liner just inside the line in right to bring home the go-ahead run.

S&T got a runner on base in the ninth when Lee Voth-Gaeddert (Hesston, Kan./Hesston HS) singled with one out, but Andy Heston – who went the distance for NKU – got a fielder's choice and a fly out to end the game.

The Norse outhit the Miners 7-6 on the night; Voth-Gaeddert and Hall had two hits apiece for S&T.