MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Northwestern St. Paul Baseball team swept the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars on Wednesday night a road UMAC doubleheader. The Eagles improved to 5-1 in conference play with the series sweep.
Game One
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was fantastic in a complete game performance. The sophomore held the Cougars to just four hits and one earned run while striking out 11 in nine-innings to earn his third win of the season on the mound. The complete game win is the second in as many starts for Boerema, who shut out UW-Superior last week with 12 strikeouts in nine innings.
The Eagles got on the board in the top of the third on a Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) RBI single to second. Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) gave UNW the lead in the fourth inning on a single to short, scoring Boerema from third. In the fifth, Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) capitalized on a mistake by the Cougar defenders after stealing third base, using his speed to get from second to home.
Now leading 3-1, Northwestern put a crooked number on the board in the top of the sixth to add to their lead. Cal Johnson (Lino Lakes, Minn./Concordia Academy) drove in a run with the bases loaded, and then Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) followed with a bomb over the right field fence to put UNW up 6-1.
The Cougars got a run in the bottom of the sixth, but UNW added two more in the top of the ninth for insurance, as Vercoe scored on a wild pitch and Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) drove in another on an RBI single down the right field line. It was more than enough as Northwestern took game one 8-2.
Game Two
Crabb took the mound for the Eagles in game two, and followed up Boerema's gem with one of his own. The sophomore shut out the Cougars in his eight innings pitched, allowing just four scattered hits while striking out seven. Crabb did damage at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. This followed a game one in which Crabb went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to go 7-for 9 with three RBI and three runs scored on the day.
In the fourth inning, it was Vercoe who put UNW on the board first with a solo shot to right for his team-leading eighth home run of the season.
The Eagles took advantage of a pair of wild pitches in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead, as Skrede and Szymanski capitalized on the Cougar errors to score from third.
A Wyatt Morrell (Elk River, Minn./Homeschool) sacrifice fly in the seventh, and a pair of RBI singles by Crabb and Vercoe in the eighth rounded out the scoring for UNW on the day as they cruised to an 8-0 shutout victory.
Morrell pitched the ninth for Northwestern, going 1-2-3 on just 11 pitches to close out the doubleheader sweep.
Up Next
Northwestern returns to campus to face Martin Luther College for a UMAC doubleheader on Thursday, April 22, starting at 4pm.