ST. PAUL – A chilly mid-April evening couldn't stop the University of Northwestern baseball team, as the Eagles' offense exploded for a combined 35 runs in Tuesday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) doubleheader sweep of Crown College at Reynolds Field. UNW prevailed, 17-9, in a slugfest in game one, before cruising to a seven-inning 18-0 victory in game two.

Northwestern (8-14) kicked off its conference season with a pair of wins, while Crown falls to 7-9 overall and 2-2 in league play.  

Game One
In an entertaining back-and-forth contest, Crown delivered the first blow, scoring three runs in the top of the second. The Eagles answered in the home half of the second; plating two runs to cut the deficit to one. UNW would then go on to score three runs in both the fourth and seventh innings before a seven-run eighth inning put the game out of reach.

John Hietpas (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) had the hot bat, as the senior finished 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Brett Reinhart (Chanhassen, Minn./Southwest Christian), Ryan Sutterer (Anoka, Minn./Anoka ) and Nathan Ehnstrom (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) all posted two hits at the dish to contribute to the offensive attack. Sutterer, whose two hits were both doubles, tallied three RBI.

Troy Nelson (Buena Park, Calif. /Buena Park) got the start on the hill, fanning a season-high nine batters in 6.2 innings of work.

Game Two
Northwestern picked up right where it left off in game one, scoring a season-high 18 runs en route to earning a run-rule win over Crown. UNW put a six spot on the board in the third, fifth and sixth innings and shut down the Storm bats in the nightcap.

Tyler Osborn (Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) highlighted the scoring in game two, smashing a grand slam in the fifth inning. The outfielder finished with a pair of hits and six RBI.

Tucker Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) was also impressive; finishing 3-for-4, while scoring three runs and posting three RBI. Leadoff hitter Brady Arneson (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) drew three walks and scored two runs, while Reinhart collected two hits.

Benjamin Jenney (Albertville, Minn./Maranatha Christian) went the distance on the mound to pick up his third win of the season. The right-hander didn't surrender a run, while allowing just five hits in seven innings of work.

The Eagles and Storm will be back on the diamond Wednesday in Waconia for a third showdown in two days. First pitch in the non-conference contest is set for 3 p.m. A full recap following tomorrow's game will be available at www.unweagles.com.