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Kenny Stokes

Baseball

Eagles 10-run Martin Luther in series finale

Box Score

ST. PAUL -- The Northwestern College baseball team won its second straight UMAC baseball series on Friday after defeating Martin Luther College 17-1 in an abbreviated seven-inning game. The Eagles outhit their opponents 19-5 and had some big-run innings to earn a 16-run advantage in a contest that was originally scheduled for nine innings.

Ryan Nelson (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater) was one of several Northwestern players to put up big numbers as the junior was 4-5 at the plate with three runs scored. Zach Markwith (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis) (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis) and Dan Halstensgard (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony) (St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony) followed suit, recording three hits apiece. Markwith's stat line included his first collegiate home run.

After a scoreless first inning, Northwestern got on the board with a five-run second inning. After back-to-back singles led off the inning, the Eagles' Zach Holsman (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) singled up the middle to score Brady Erickson (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm) (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm). A few batters later, Ryan Long (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato) doubled to left center, bringing Kurt Votaw (Coon Rapids, Minn./Hinckley Finlayson) (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson) and Holsman across the plate.

Martin Luther scored its only run of the game in the top of the third inning before Northwestern tallied 12 unanswered scores. Nelson scored in the third before a four-hit fourth inning produced four more runs. Three of the four runs came on Markwith's account, when the freshman hit a ball that just carried the center field fence at Reynolds Field.

If any fans in attendance were worried about more insurance runs, they received their wish in the bottom of the sixth frame when Northwestern put a seven-spot on the board. Halstensgard sparked three straight singles to begin the inning, prompting an RBI single from Cody Durkee (Wilton, N.D./Wilton) (Wilton, N.D./Wilton). In the Eagles' next at-bat, Long hit his team-leading ninth double of the season to score Kurt Votaw (Coon Rapids, Minn./Hinckley Finlayson) (Coon Rapids, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson). After Halstensgard brought Long home on an RBI single, Northwestern breathed a sigh of relief before walking off the field with a 17-1 victory.

Long continued his stretch of RBI production, adding three to his already team-leading 22.

Josh Balzer (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) went all seven innings for Northwestern on the mound, yielding just five hits and one earned run. The freshman struck out four of the 26 batters he faced.

With the win, Northwestern improves to 14-16 overall and 7-7 in UMAC play, which is currently good for fourth place in the conference standings. With two weeks to go before the conference tournament, the Eagles have seven games left, four of which are against Bethany Lutheran College and the College of St. Scholastica, who were picked Nos. 1 and 2 to win the UMAC regular season. St. Scholastica will come to town for a 4 p.m. game on Tuesday before the Eagles hit the road next weekend to take on Bethany Lutheran.
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