DULUTH, Minn. -- The Northwestern Baseball team backed its way into the UMAC Postseason Tournament on Saturday after falling to the sixth-ranked College of St. Scholastica in an afternoon doubleheader. The Eagles lost the first contest 5-1 before running out of time in a 2-1 loss in Game 2.

Northwestern's only run of the first game came in the seventh inning after the Eagles found themselves in a 5-0 hole. Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) threw all six innings for NWC but gave up eight hits while striking out three. After the Saints had scored runs in the second, third and fifth innings, Andy Borud (Grand Marais, Minn./Cook County) (Grand Marais, Minn./Cook County) crossed the plate for Northwestern on an RBI groundout.

Mike Sharp (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) and Zach Markwith (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis) (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis) accounted for five of the Eagles' seven hits in the game. Northwestern struggled to take advantage of its base runners though, as nine were stranded in the seven inning affair.

Pitcher Cory Larson (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) kept the Purple and Gold in the second game, holding St. Scholastica's offense to a minimum as the Eagles out-hit the eventual UMAC regular season champion 10-6. Runners left on base was once again a problem though, as the Eagles left eight ducks on the pond in the one-run loss.

The Saints got on the board first with a run in the third before Northwestern tied the score in the top of the sixth inning when Monte Abeler (Upsala, Minn./Upsala) (Upsala, Minn./Upsala), who had reached base on a fielder's choice earlier in the frame, crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Josh Hanson (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha Christian) (Plymouth, Minn./Maranatha Christian Academy). St. Scholastica matched the Eagles' run in the bottom half of the inning as back-to-back hits produced the game-winning run.

The loss was Larson's first of the year after the freshman gave up six hits while striking out three.

Sharp and Markwith again showed why they start Northwestern's lineup at the plate as they teamed up for five hits in the game. Brady Erickson (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm) (Chisholm, Minn./Chisholm) also had two hits in three at-bats.

Now 13-22 overall and 10-10 in UMAC competition, Northwestern will play a nonconference game at the University of St. Thomas on Tuesday before beginning their quest at the UMAC Tournament on Thursday. Northwestern's opponent to start the tournament is a very familiar one as the Eagles and Saints will match up once again in the double elimination event.