PUNTA GORDA, Florida -- Keaton Mark belted three home runs on the day as the Heidelberg University baseball team split on their first day of games in Florida.  No. 20 Heidelberg fell to No. 13 North Central, 11-7, then beat Misericordia, 5-3.  

Mark was 6-for-9 on the afternoon, adding three singles to his bevy of home runs.  He drove in four and scored four.  

Kyle Jenkins, Elliot Kurtz and Zach Doran each tallied three hits.  

The Student Princes moved to 3-4 on the season.  


#13 NORTH CENTRAL 11     #20 HEIDELBERG 7

The Cardinals went up 4-0 early with a pair of runs in the first two innings.  

Mark blasted the first pitch of the bottom of the second over the fence in right.  After allowing the homer, Cardinals starter Charlie Klemm struggled to command the zone and walked three.  With two outs, Zach Doran lined a two-run single down the line in right, plating Jake Davis and Tyler Smith. 

Ahead 4-3, North Central (7-0) added a run in the third and two in the fourth, taking a 7-3 lead.  

Undaunted, the Student Princes fought back once again.  Robert Hunt sent a bouncing single up the middle and moved to second on a base hit by Jenkins.  Eric DeVore followed with a double deep down the right field line, scoring a pair.  With two outs, Mark tattooed another offering from Clemm.  This one landed in the pond behind the field, nearly 400 feet from home plate, and tied the game at 7.  

A lead off walk and a balk by reliever Ryan Keane (0-1) proved costly as a single to center plated the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth for the Cardinals.  While Heidelberg struggled to string together hits off the NCC bullpen, the Cardinals tacked on two in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Eric Outlaw had three hits for the surging Cardinals.  


HEIDELBERG 5     MISERICORDIA 3

Without much time to lament the morning loss, Heidelberg got after it early in the second game.  Doran led off the game with a single to left, then scored on a majestic two run homer to left by Jenkins.  Next, Mark hit another ball into the pond which gave HU a 3-0 lead.  

Jake Davis led off the top of the third by dropping a double inside the right field line.  He moved to third on a throwing error by the Cougars third baseman, then scored on a wild pitch.  

After Misericordia grabbed an unearned run in the third, Heidelberg added an insurance run in the sixth.  Mark drew a walk and scored on a double down the left field line by DeVore.  

Misericordia inched closer in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs charged to starter Tristan Phillips. Phillips (2-0) went 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits.  

Up 5-3, Heidelberg turned to Cameron Deemer in the eighth.  The Cougars loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles.  Misericordia brought in a pinch-hitter who promptly hit in to an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.  

In the ninth, the Cougars threatened again.  With the tying run aboard, Deemer fanned Sean Lyons to end the game.  
Deemer picked up his third save of the season, throwing two innings of scoreless relief.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
Mark's two homers against North Central was HU's first multi-homer game since Matt Psychas hit two home runs against Ohio Northern in last year's OAC Tournament.  

Over the past eight seasons, the Student Princes are 7-1 on March 6 -- the birthday of luminaries such as Renaissance painter Michelangelo, filmmaker Rob Reiner, basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, and first grader Caroline Garvin.

DeVore has seven doubles on the season. 

UP NEXT:
Heidelberg faces Swarthmore on Saturday, with an 11 a.m. first pitch.