St. Paul, Minn. –– The University of Northwestern baseball team (8-7) took down Bethel University (8-4) 8-7 on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Royals struck first in the top half of the opening frame thanks to an unearned run. In the bottom of the first, Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) reached via an error to start off the inning and advanced to third on Sam Peterson's (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) double to left. Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) hit a sacrifice fly to left, and then Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) drove home Peterson with a single to right to give the Eagles an early 2-1 lead.

Bethel immediately tied it in the second, and both sides traded scoring opportunities in the third and fourth, but neither side could cash in. Bethel took the 4-2 lead in the fourth thanks to four straight two-out hits.

The Eagles came roaring back in the sixth and put up a crooked number. Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) led off with a single to left, and he promptly stole second. He advanced to third on Wyatt Morrell's (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) groundout and scored on Aaron Severson's (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) single to left. Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) doubled Severson to third to set up second and third with one-out. Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) singled home Severson. Simonson hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four. Peterson followed with a walk to load the bases before Vercoe drew an RBI walk, and Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) got an RBI via a hit by pitch to make it 7-4.

In the seventh, the Royals began to chip away at the Eagle lead thanks to an RBI double to make it 7-5. They tied it in the bottom of the eighth as four straight Royals reached to start the inning. Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) came in and was able to escape thanks to a hot shot that Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) speared at third. He stepped on third and fired across the diamond to keep the score tied.

In the bottom of the eighth, Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) hit a one-out single back up the middle to get the Eagles started. Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) advanced him to second on a groundout, and Simonson scored on Vercoe's RBI single to left field to give Northwestern the 8-7 lead. Bethel fought back in the ninth, as they made it first and second with two-outs before Severson shut the door.

Northwestern recorded 11 hits in the contest. Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin), coming off of his UMAC player of the week award, had two hits, both doubles, and a walk to lead the Eagles offense. Vercoe, Crabb, Severson, and Skrede all reached base two times. 

Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) got the start on the mound for the Eagles. He gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. Nicholas Drinken (Randolph, Minn. /Randolph) followed on the mound and he got the next three outs. Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) came in to pitch in the eighth and recorded his first collegiate win.

Up Next

The Eagles play a doubleheader against Martin Luther on Thursday, April 1st at Reynolds Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 pm.

Follow Northwestern baseball online at www.unweagles.com or on Twitter @unwbaseball.