Game Reaction:
Zach Markwith
MINNEAPOLIS – Northwestern College started its 2012 season with a doubleheader sweep of North Central University at the Metrodome on Tuesday evening. The Eagles posted 7-5 and 6-4 victories on the night thanks to strong all-around hitting at the plate.
Cody Kielsa (Howard Lake, Minn./Rogers) wasted no time putting Northwestern on the board in the first game. The junior ran out an infield hit to the third baseman in his first plate appearance and scored two batters later. Kielsa, who got to third base on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt, crossed the plate for the Eagles' first run on an RBI groundout by
Zach Markwith (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis).
NWC brought in two more runs in the second inning as
Andy Haagenson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley) and Kielsa fired off a pair of two-out singles before two more one-basers from
Cody Durkee (Wilton, N.D./Wilton) and Markwith gave the Eagles three runs on the scoreboard.
Pitcher
Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) got going early in his 2012 debut, not allowing a North Central hit until midway through the second inning, when over a half hour had already ticked by since the first pitch. Peterson gave up a string of hits through the left and right sides of the infield to produce three runs for the Rams, who took a 4-3 lead after an unearned first inning run.
Northwestern continued to score runs. With two runners on, Markwith stayed on his RBI spree in the sixth frame, poking a single to center field to score two runs to regain the lead for the Eagles. On the flip side of the inning, after taking down the first two batters, Peterson worked out of a jam from the hill. With two runners on base, the sophomore got North Central's Joe Robinson to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning unscathed.
Cory Larson (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) came in to pitch a seventh frame for Northwestern, protecting the 7-5 lead to make it a final score.
The Eagles out-hit the Rams 14-7, but left eight runners on base. Peterson's line finished with a six-inning victory that included three earned runs and five strikeouts. Kielsa, Markwith and Haagenson each tallied three hits in the game.
After a rough start to the second game that included two walks and a hit batter,
Mark Meredith (Robbinsdale, Minn./Armstrong) settled down on the mound to allow just one run on a sacrifice fly before striking out two. Meanwhile, the foul line played nice to Northwestern's batters, as
Taylor Kauweloa (Kailua, Hawaii/Damien Memorial) and
Ethan Nichols (Brainerd, Minn/Brainerd) connected on doubles to set up runs. Markwith continued to shine at the plate, ripping a triple to right center to score Nichols en route to a four-run third inning.
Kielsa then hit a triple of his own in the fourth inning to score Haagenson and give the Eagles a 6-1 advantage that lasted through the seventh and final inning.
Meredith left Larson with a five-run lead and an inning left of work, but North Central didn't go away quietly. Ian Andrews belted his second double of the game to the gap in right center, driving in two runs in the process before Northwestern finished business with a two-run win.
Meredith gave up three hits and one earned run to go with six Ks in six innings of work. At the plate, Markwith finished with another three-hit game while Kauweloa went 2-3 with an RBI.
After starting their season with a 2-0 record, the Eagles have to wait a week and a half to play games again when they fly to Florida for spring break. Northwestern is scheduled to play eight contests on Florida's Treasure Coast before returning to the Metrodome for a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on March 19.
