DAVENPORT, Fl.- The University of Northwestern Baseball Team wrapped up their trip to the Sunshine State with one final doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The Eagles split the doubleheader with Marian University, dropping the first contest but winning their Florida finale.
Game One
Offense was the story early on in the first game of the afternoon. Marian scored four runs in the top half of the frame to take an early lead. However, the Eagles, serving as the home team in the opener, answered back in the bottom half of the frame.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) would hit a two run homerun, his first of the season, to put the Eagles right back in the contest trailing 4-2 after the first inning.
After the offensive explosion from both squads in the first inning, runs would be hard to come by for the remainder of the game. Marian would add a run off of a RBI single in the 5
th inning and the Eagles would be shutout the final six innings of the seven inning game. Marian would win game one 5-2.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) was phenomenal at the plate in the contest. In addition to his two run homerun, the senior would reach base in all three plate appearances going 3-3 at the dish.
Cramer Hamilton (Apple Valley, Calif./Excelsior) also had a hit for the Eagles.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) would get the start for UNW pitching 4.2 innings, and
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) would relieve him out of the bullpen and pitch 2.1 innings of scoreless ball for the Eagles.
Game Two
After only scoring two runs in the opener of the double header, the Eagles' bats answered back with a bang in game two. The Eagles would be held scoreless the first two innings of play but would take the first lead of the contest in the third inning. Once again, it was a long ball that got the scoring started for the Eagles. This time it was the slugger
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) who hit his second homerun of the young season. This was a solo shot over the right field fence that would give the Eagles a 1-0 lead after three innings.
It was another seven inning game, and the game was tight going into the sixth inning as UNW led by a single run. The Eagles would expand on that lead in the late innings.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) hit a double to left field that scored
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian). Severson would later score on a double by
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) and the Eagles had a 4-0 lead after six innings.
The Eagles would add some insurance in the top half of the seventh and final frame.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) would knock a single through the middle of the infield to score
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield). A
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) double would score
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) and move Crabb to third base, where he would later score on a ground ball hit by
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin). To end the inning, Vercoe would score on a sacrifice fly by
Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua). When all the dust had settled, the Eagles led 8-0 going into the bottom half of the seventh. That score would hold, and the Eagles won their final game in Florida 8-0.
The story of the game for the Eagles was
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian). The reigning UMAC Pitcher of the Week had another strong performance early in the 2022 campaign. Crabb pitched a 7 inning, complete game shutout and struck out nine batters. The junior did not walk a batter and only gave up two hits on the afternoon. Aside from his dominant pitching performance, Crabb had a strong day at the plate as well. Crabb, hitting out of the leadoff spot for UNW, went 2-4, scored two runs, and had a run batted in. Crabb got it done with the bat and his arm in the win for the Eagles.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) had two hits, two RBIs and a homerun at the plate.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) knocked in two runs at the plate in the win and
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin),
Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua), and
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) all had an RBI a piece for the victorious Eagles.
UNW wraps up their Florida trip with a 3-2 record against very high quality competition.
Up Next
The Eagles will not compete again until Saturday, March 19
th when they will be back in the Midwest. UNW will play a doubleheader in Lincoln, Nebraska against the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves. Follow along with Eagle Baseball all season long at unweagles.com and on social media @UNWBaseball.
