Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ST. PAUL -- The Northwestern College baseball team improved its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) record to 5-0 this season with a doubleheader sweep over Crown College on Tuesday afternoon. The Eagles claimed a 3-1 win before holding on to a 6-5 victory to close out the day.

Freshman pitcher Cory Larson (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) continued his season's success from the mound, hurling all seven innings of Game 1 while yielding just one run. Larson struck out nine Crown batters while Northwestern's bats produced timely hitting. The Eagles were the first team to score as Nick Jones (Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata) (Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata) singled in Monte Abeler (Upsala, Minn./Upsala) (Upsala, Minn./Upsala) in the second inning. The Storm tied the game with one run in the fourth before NWC answered with single runs in both the fourth and fifth frames. Taylor Kauweloa (Kailua, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) (Kailua, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) and Andy Haggenson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley) picked up RBIs as Northwestern gained momentum heading into the second game of the twin bill.

Game 2 offered more offense by both teams as Northwestern seemed destined for a three-run victory until a shaky seventh inning had fans biting their nails in anxiousness. The Eagles scored first once again, putting two runs on the board in both the first and second innings. Kauweloa had one of his two hits in the game in the first frame, bringing Sharp home eventually on a double steal. Andy Borud (Grand Marais, Minn./Cook County) (Grand Marais, Minn./Cook County) singled in Cody Kielsa (Howard Lake, Minn./Rogers) (Howard Lake, Minn./Rogers) before Borud crossed the plate two batters later in the second to give NWC a 4-0 advantage.

Crown answered with a three-run fourth inning, roughing up Eagles starting pitcher Tyler Campion (Robbinsdale, Minn./Maranatha Christian) (Robbinsdale, Minn./Maranatha Christian) a bit before the junior settled down to yield the mound to Olyad Regassa (Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South) (Minneapolis, Minn./South) for a seventh inning save situation. Regassa, a freshman, eventually earned the save after a trio of walks and Northwestern ended the day flawless in its home opener.

Campion gave up three earned runs on four hits while striking out five.

Kauweloa was sharp at the plate all day, going a combined 5-7 with an RBI. Brady Erickson (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm) (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm), Borud and Sharp also produced at least two hits in one of the two games.

Northwestern has now won five straight while boosting its season record to 6-8 overall (5-0 UMAC). The Eagles will take a couple days off before continuing their home stand against Presentation College this weekend. NWC will face the Saints in one nine-inning game on Friday at 3 p.m. before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, which is slated for a 12 p.m. start.