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Baseball: University of Northwestern-St. Paul Eagles vs. University of Minnesota, Morris Cougars
Caleb Williams, d3photography.com
5
St. Scholastica CSS 5-4, 1-2 UMAC
7
Winner Northwestern Minn. UNW 15-7, 3-0 UMAC
St. Scholastica CSS
5-4, 1-2 UMAC
5
Final
7
Northwestern Minn. UNW
15-7, 3-0 UMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Scholastica CSS 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 5 12 1
Northwestern Minn. UNW 2 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 X 7 7 0

W: Wall, Philip (1-2) L: Dallas Miller (1-2)

3
Winner St. Scholastica CSS 6-4, 2-2 UMAC
0
Northwestern Minn. UNW 15-8, 3-1 UMAC
Winner
St. Scholastica CSS
6-4, 2-2 UMAC
3
Final
0
Northwestern Minn. UNW
15-8, 3-1 UMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Scholastica CSS 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 9 1
Northwestern Minn. UNW 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0

W: Grant Taival (3-0) L: Ludzack, Sam (3-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Matthew Bauman

Keegan Vercoe’s Three Home Runs Power Eagles to Split with St. Scholastica

St. Paul, Minn. -- The University of Northwestern baseball team (15-8. 3-1 UMAC) battled against the College of St. Scholastica (6-4, 2-2 UMAC). In a matchup between the second and third-ranked teams in the UMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the two squads split the doubleheader. Northwestern won game one 7-5 and St. Scholastica won game two 3-0.

Game One
The Eagles got the scoring started early on in game one. Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) led off with a walk and moved to third on Bryce Crabb's (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) single to center. Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) drove home Simonson with an infield single, and Crabb scored on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) to make it 2-0 after one.

In the third, Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) showed off his light-tower power with a massive opposite-field blast high off of one of the light stanchions in left field. In the top of the fourth, Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) worked his way around a one-out triple to keep the 3-0 lead.

Northwestern kept adding on in the fourth thanks to a Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) RBI single, which brought home Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield). Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) followed with a hot shot that snuck past the third baseman to bring home Carlton Lindow (Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls) to extend the lead to 5-0. Scholastica got one back in the fifth thanks to back-to-back doubles, but Wall limited the damage.

Vercoe led off the sixth, and he hit a second consecutive opposite-field home run to get that run right back. Scholastica battled back in the seventh to make it 6-3, but Vercoe wasn't done yet. He came up to lead off the seventh and hit his third consecutive blast, this one a shot to right-center. 

Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) followed in relief of Wall for the eighth and ninth and Scholastica scored twice in the eighth and had the tying run at the dish in the ninth. On a 3-2 count, Morrell appeared to hit the Scholastica batter, but the umpire ruled that he leaned into the pitch, which resulted in strike three thus ending the game.

The Eagles took advantage of the beautiful afternoon with seven hits and drew five walks. Vercoe led the offense with his three solo home runs. Morrell and Szafraniec both reached twice. Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) got his first win of the season on the bump with seven fantastic innings. He struck out three and gave up three earned runs. Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) got five of his six outs via strikeout to end the contest.

Game Two
Northwestern threatened again in the first, but this time they did not capitalize. Andrew Simonson (Hudson, Wis./East Ridge) was hit by a pitch and Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) followed with a sharp single to left. Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) walked to load the bases, but they were all left stranded.


In the second, Scholastica had back-to-back hits to lead off the inning, but Simonson and Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) combined for a perfect relay to easily throw out the runner at the plate to keep it 0-0. Northwestern had multiple runners on in the second and third, but they were all left stranded. In the fourth, the Saints scored on a two-run triple to left-center. They added their third run in the seventh on a wild pitch.

Northwestern's next best scoring opportunity came in the seventh, as Philip Wall (Juneau, Alaska/IDEA) led off with a double to right-center. He didn't move off of second base and the Eagles also stranded Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) on second in the eighth.

Sam Ludzack (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) took his first loss of the season in a masterful performance. In his nine innings on the mound, he struck out three while surrendering nine hits. Severson, Morrell, and Wall all reached twice to lead the Eagle offense.

Up Next

The Eagles travel to Morris, Minnesota on Wednesday, April 21st in a UMAC doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

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

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