Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3

MANKATO, Minn. – After a 4-1 start to its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) slate last week, the University of Northwestern baseball team tightened its belt for a Tuesday tripleheader against Bethany Lutheran College. The Eagles took the quick three-game series, winning the final two games of the day to improve to 6-2 in league play.

Tyler Hebrink's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning was the difference maker in Game 1, as Adam Geiger's run broke a 5-5 tie to give the Vikings the win. Trailing 4-0, Northwestern used a five-run fifth inning to take a one-run lead. With Taylor McMurray (Vadnais Heights, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Matt Doss (Pillager, Minn./Pillager) both on base, Aaron Rau (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) doubled down the left field line to score both. Four batters later, Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) hit a bases-clearing double of his own that brought in Mike Studer, Tyler Osborn (Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Rau.

Bethany answered with a run in the bottom half of the fifth, taking advantage of a Dylan Gass sacrifice fly to knot the score at five runs apiece.

Troy Nelson (Buena Park, Calif. /Buena Park) went six innings on the mound for Northwestern, allowing seven hits and the Vikings' first five runs in his 29-batter outing. Benjamin Jenney (Albertville, Minn./Maranatha Christian) was charged with the loss as the Eagles sophomore yielded two hits and the game-winning run while getting just one out.

In the batter's box, UNW was outhit 9-6. In addition to the doubles by Rau and Peterson, Osborn added another extra-base hit with his first inning triple.

The day's second game featured another tie game in the seventh inning, but it came in the middle of a six-run come-from-behind spree that ultimately put the Eagles in front 13-9. After Taylor McMurray (Vadnais Heights, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Rau scored in the first inning, Northwestern went silent on the scoreboard for two innings while Bethany Lutheran had built up a 5-2 advantage. UNW returned for two more runs in the fourth, taking advantage of a Vikings passed ball and an RBI groundout by Rau. 

The Vikings matched Northwestern's two runs in their portion of the frame before adding a run in the fifth inning to go up 8-4. The Eagles came within one of the home team in a three-run sixth as UNW took advantage of four consecutive hits, including a Ryan Sutterer (Anoka, Minn./Anoka ) double to right field that scored Rau.

Another Bethany Lutheran run in the bottom half of the sixth gave the Vikings a little breathing room heading into the last hurrah, but Northwestern used some patience at the plate to jump ahead in the final inning. Oddly enough, the Eagles didn't record a hit in the six-run seventh, instead letting BLC self-inflict itself with a half dozen walks and a few more free passes with wild pitches.

UNW head coach Dave Hieb played his trump card – pitcher Andy Peterson (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) – in the bottom half of the frame. The Eagles' senior captain yielded one hit, but otherwise shut down the Bethany batters to ensure the Northwestern victory.

Northwestern was once again out-hit, but 14 Viking allowed by Vikings pitchers throughout the seven-inning affair were more than enough to put the Eagles over the edge. Andy Haagenson (Minneapolis, Minn./Henry Sibley) was good for two hits and three runs scored in the game, with Rau picking up his second, third and fourth RBI of the day. Four different UNW pitchers saw action.

For the first time all day, Northwestern took a lead and kept it throughout Game 3 in a 6-3 victory. The Eagles also won the hits battle, 10-9, as TJ Studer (Perham, Minn/Perham) picked up the win on the mound.

Northwestern struck first with two runs in its initial at-bat. After hitting a leadoff single to start the game, McMurray came home on a Sutterer RBI single. Osborn then scored as UNW's next batter, Mike Studer, earned an RBI on a groundout.

Bethany's first scoring opportunity came in the third inning as the Vikings strung together a pair of hits. Leading by a run, Northwestern added some what would be needed insurance runs in the top of the fifth on three straight RBIs. With the bases loaded, Studer hit a sacrifice fly to center that brought in Rau before Peterson and Austin Adamson (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) followed with back-to-back singles that scored Osborn and Sutterer. Peterson followed that at-bat with a seventh inning RBI single as well to put the Eagles at six runs for the game.

The Vikings attempted to make a seventh inning comeback, but that bid fell short despite BLC scoring two runs in its final opportunity at the plate. TJ Studer (Perham, Minn/Perham) allowed a pair of two-out runs to come across before Peterson took to the mound for a one-out save to give UNW its second victory of the day.

Studer allowed three runs on nine hits, striking out five of the 32 Bethany batters he faced, earning his third win of the 2014 campaign.

Both Peterson and Mike Studer had two-hit games, with both of Studer's connections going for doubles.

Now 10-10 overall, Northwestern will rest its arms before another three-game UMAC series – this one spread out over two days. The Eagles head to the west side of the Twin Cities metro area for a 3 p.m. game against Crown College on Friday followed by a doubleheader that is scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. All three games are scheduled to be played in Cologne, Minn.