Superior, Wisc. –– The University of Northwestern baseball team (14-7, 2-0 UMAC) opened up UMAC play with a sweep of the University of Wisconsin-Superior (9-11, 2-2 UMAC). The Eagles won behind dominant pitching performances by Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) and Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian).
Game One
Northwestern took a 1-0 lead in the first on Keegan Vercoe's (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) RBI triple, which brought Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) across the plate, who reached on a walk. That was all of the run-support that Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) needed on the mound, as he threw a complete-game shutout. He limited the Yellow Jackets to three hits over nine innings and struck out 12 in a phenomenal performance.
In the second, Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) scored on a wild pitch. Northwestern continued to add on to their lead throughout the opening innings as Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) led off with a single in the third and then promptly stole second. Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) singled him to third, and Peterson scored on Aaron Severson's (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) RBI single. Crabb stole home on a double steal with Severson, and the Eagles lead was up to four.
The Eagles were stuck at four until the seventh when Vercoe hit a home run to right field, which gave Boerema plenty of cushion. UNW stole eight bags in game one to bring their season total to 44. In the 2019 season, the Eagles also swiped 44 bags, but that was in 43 games compared to the 21 they have played so far this year.
Vercoe led the offense with his triple and home run and reached base three times in the contest. Eight of the nine Eagles in the starting lineup reached at least once, as it was an all-around performance by the offense.
Game Two
The Eagles once again jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) led off with a single to center, and he stole second to bring the season total to 45. He came around to score on Keegan Vercoe's (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) RBI infield groundout, and the Eagles offense was clicking again.
Superior got their only run of the eighteen innings in the third, thanks to a one-out solo home run. That was all the offense that Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) would allow as he also shut down the Yellow Jacket offense. In his nine innings of work, he scattered five hits while striking out four.
Both starting pitchers were in a groove in the middle innings as no more than four batters came to the plate for either side in the third, fourth, or fifth. In the sixth, though, Northwestern's bats came alive.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and Vercoe reached on one-out walks.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) continued his incredible freshman season with a two-run double to right-center. He eventually came around to score on
Wyatt Morrell's (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) RBI double to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead.
Eric Peterson (Coon Valley, Wis./Westby) prevented a run in the sixth as he threw out a runner stealing second to keep the three-run lead for Northwestern. In the seventh,
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) scored on another Vercoe RBI single, and both runners added another steal to their tally. In the ninth, the two were at it again as
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) hit a two-out double to left, and Vercoe drove him in with a single as they continued to cash in on each other's successes.
Northwestern stole another four bags in game two to bring their total for the day to twelve. Vercoe reached three times again in game two with three RBIs, and
Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) recorded three hits and an RBI.
Up Next
Northwestern welcomes the College of St. Scholastica to Reynolds Field on Saturday, April 17th in a UMAC doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:30 pm.
Follow Northwestern baseball online at www.unweagles.com or on Twitter @unwbaseball.
