ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern won its first game at the new Reynolds Field on Wednesday afternoon, braving both the Hamline University Pipers and a brisk 31-degree wind chill in a 3-1 final. A wide strike zone and early swings from both sides helped with the time, as did UNW pitcher Erik Nyquist (Elk River, Minn./Pine Island)'s gem in a nine-inning game that lasted a mere hour and 40 minutes.

Both teams were slow to start, but Northwestern brought its first run across home plate in the third inning when a Brock Peterson (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) sacrifice fly scored Tucker Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) from third. The Eagles clung to that one-run lead for much of the game as the double-play curse had UNW's number in the third, fourth, and fifth frames. Meanwhile, Nyquist was steady on the hill, allowing only one hit past the infield until Chris Zeller's two-out double in the ninth.

Nyquist got out of a jam in the top of the sixth as Hamline threatened with a runner on third, but the Northwestern freshman struck out Evan Cordell to end the inning. UNW then caught a break in the bottom half of the sixth frame as Matt Doss (Pillager, Minn./Pillager) scored on an errant throw that would have otherwise been the third out.

While Porter Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Home School)'s RBI-groundout in the eighth scored Nathan Ehnstrom (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and gave the Eagles some breathing room at 3-0, the run proved to be beneficial insurance as the Pipers strung together a pair of hits in their last at-bats in the ninth. With the tying run at the plate, Nyquist forced Rick Tormey to foul out to right field to end the game and boost the rookie's season record to 3-0 and put UNW back in the win column at 6-7.

Northwestern had seven hits on the day, two from the bat of Tucker Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool). Tyler Osborn (Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian)'s 0-for-3 day at the plate meant the end of the sophomore's 11-game hitting streak which dated back to the Eagles' second game of the 2015 campaign on March 6.

UNW will be back at Reynolds Field for its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) opening series against Northland College this weekend. The Eagles and LumberJacks are slated to play a single, nine-inning game at 3 p.m. on Friday before a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.