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Josh Englund
Northwestern Sports Information

Baseball

Eagles record first win of 2009 versus Presentation

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Game 3 Box Score

ST. PAUL – The Northwestern College baseball team recorded its first win of the 2009 season on Saturday, but lost two of its three games against Presentation College in a rare tripleheader.  The Saints from Presentation won Games 1 and 3 by scores of 8-6 and 8-5, while the Eagles took the second game in 5-2 fashion.

Kyle Mick (Maplewood, Minn./Concordia Academy) (Maplewood, Minn./Concordia Academy) had quite the performance in Game 1, as the designated hitter put two hits over the fence for his second and third home runs of the season. Unfortunately, the Eagles couldn't overcome two four-run innings by Presentation en route to an 8-6 loss.  Mick's first bomb of the day sparked a three-run second inning for NWC, as Dan Halstensgard (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony) (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony) and Ryan Nelson (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) each followed with RBI singles.

With the Eagles down 8-4, Nelson tried to rally his teammates in the bottom of the seventh inning, doubling to right field before advancing to third base on a passed ball.  After an Erik Dahl (Robbinsdale, Minn./Armstrong) (Robbinsdale, Minn./Armstrong) strikeout, Mick followed with his second bomb to make it a two run game.  Two of NWC's next three batters grounded and flied out, ending the Eagles chances of a comeback.

Andrew Stokes (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) (0-3) got the nod to start the day on the hill for the Eagles.  The sophomore had two strong innings before the Saints scored seven earned runs.  Tyler Campion (Robbinsdale, Minn./Maranatha Christian) (Robbinsdale, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy) came in to pitch the remaining three and two-thirds innings, striking out one while yielding no runs.

Northwestern scored first in the second game, as Ryan Long (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) scored on a Long sacrifice fly.  After Presentation answered with a run of its own in the top of the second inning, the Eagles scored again in the bottom of the frame.  Mick continued his day with a double to right center, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Sage (Duncanville, Texas/Ovilla Christian) (Duncanville, Texas/Olivia Christian).  Mike Sharp (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) gave the Eagles their third run of the game on Long's second double in as many at bats.

After a Saints run in the top of the sixth inning made it a 3-2 score in favor of the home team, NWC scored two insurance runs on a hit and an error to increase its lead to 5-2.  After Josh Englund (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) pitched five and two-thirds innings, Nelson took the mound in relief to record the inning-and-a-third save.

Englund (1-1) yielded an earned run while striking out three of the 28 batters he faced, picking up his first collegiate win.  Nelson's save was his first in a Northwestern uniform.

Five runs by Presentation in the first inning of Game 3 put Northwestern in an early hole that the Eagles were never able to dig themselves out of.  Six hits produced the five tallies for Presentation, while NWC scored two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning on a Dahl homerun that caromed off of the scoreboard in right field.

The Eagles continued to put runs on the board in each of the second, third and fourth frames to tie the game at 5-5.  Presentation came back with a three-run fifth inning, two of which came on a double from Sam Heintzman.  NWC wasn't able to recover and the Eagles ultimately lost 8-5.

Mark Halstensgard (St. Anthony, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) (St. Anthony, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) hurled four and a third innings for Northwestern, giving up five earned runs on seven hits.  Nelson went from right field to the pitcher's mound for a second straight game in the fifth, striking out three while keeping the visitors from scoring again in the game.

Offensively, Mick finished the day 4-6, recording two RBI and crossing the plate three times.  Zach Holsman (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) was 3-6, while Dan Halstensgard (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony) and Ryan Nelson (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) each finished 4-10 at the plate.

Northwestern settles its record at 1-10 on the year while opening the UMAC season at 1-2.  Presentation improves to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

The Eagles will take to the field again on Tuesday, March 31, when they host Bethel University in a 3:30 p.m. affair.  NWC will then play North Central University on Wednesday, April 1 in a make-up game from last Thursday.

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