FORT PIERCE, Fla.—Junior Nicholas Gendron (Alstead, N.H.) struck out eight over four innings and sophomore Brandon Place (Concord, N.H.) drove in four runs and the Cadets earned their first victory of 2013 with a hard-fought 6-5 win over Northwestern College (Minn.).

Norwich found itself in an early hole when Gendron walked the leadoff man in the top of the first inning, who came around to score courtesy of two wild pitches and a passed ball. But he battled and struck out two of the final three in the frame to keep the deficit at one.

Norwich went quietly in the first, but in the second inning the Cadets delivered some two-out magic. Senior Sam Philbrook (Rochester, Mass.) singled to center and advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt before junior Devin Cilley (Tunbridge, Vt.) was hit by a pitch and junior Charles Schaub (East Hampton, Conn.) drew a walk.

That set the stage for Place, who took Eagles starter Bryan McCallum to a full count before ripping a double past a diving third baseman. All three runners came around to score and Place wound up at second, giving Norwich a 3-1 lead.

Freshman Brian Baker (Keene, N.H.) and senior Dustin Shimkus (Collinsville, Ill.) reached via a hit by pitch and a walk to re-load the bases and Norwich scored its fourth run of the frame when freshman Billy Whaley (Northfield, Vt.) became the third hit batter of the inning.

Norwich added on in the fourth against the Eagles relief corps when Cilley singled home a run and Place delivered his fourth RBI of the day with a single to left center that scored Cilley.

Gendron continued to dominate the Eagles lineup, striking out two batters in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth before giving way to the bullpen.

Norwich got into a bit of trouble in the fifth as Philbrook surrendered a run around three walks, and the Eagles added another in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-3.

On the heels of a rough collegiate debut the previous day, freshman Jacob Muetterties (Boxford, Mass.) pitched well out of the bullpen, allowing just one earned run in two innings to allow the Cadets to cling to a 6-5 lead after eight innings.

Place closed out the game for Norwich to earn his first save as Northwestern stranded the tying run at third.

The Cadets will be back in action Thursday for two games: against St. Mary's (Md.) and Bridgewater State (Mass.)

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