DAVENPORT, Fl.- The University of Northwestern Baseball Team has wasted no time playing quality teams early on in the 2022 season. After splitting a doubleheader with a 2021 NCAA National Tournament Team on Saturday, the Eagles played another National Tournament opponent on Monday morning as they squared off with Illinois College. The Eagles won the game in dramatic fashion. 9-7.
The early morning start time had no effect on the Eagles as their bats were ready to go from the first pitch.
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) and
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) got on base to start the day for the Eagles, and
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) brought them both home with a single to centerfield. Vercoe would score later in the inning, and UNW took a 3-0 lead after the first inning.
Illinois College would score a run in the top half of the second inning, but UNW would answer right back.
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) singled and scored
Cramer Hamilton (Apple Valley, Calif./Excelsior), and it was a 4-1 Eagle lead after two innings.
Illinois College would start to heat up their bats in the middle innings, scoring a run in the third and three more in the fourth to take their first lead of the day, 5-4.
Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua), who would make a big impact in the late innings, came through with his first big hit of the day. A double to centerfield scored
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) to tie the game, and Skrede would score the go ahead run off of an
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) double to left field. Following homeruns by Illinois College in the 6
th and 7
th innings, the Eagles trailed 7-6 going into the bottom of the 7
th inning.
Skrede and Severson would combine once again as a Severson sacrifice fly to left field brought in Skrede to tie the game at 7-7 going into the late innings.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Skrede came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game. Skrede would rip a ball to third base. The ball would bounce off the diving third basemen's glove, and the throw would go into right field. Crabb and Christenson would score and the Eagles would take a 9-7 lead into the 9
th inning.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would come in to pitch the ninth inning. He didn't give up a hit, and the Eagles would win the contest 9-7.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) got the start for the Eagles. The junior pitched 4.2 innings giving up 5 runs and striking out 7 batters.
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) came in relief and pitched well for the Eagles. Drinken, who would pick up his first win of the season, pitch 3.1 innings only giving up 2 earned runs and struck out 2 batters.
At the plate,
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) was 3-4 with a walk. The Eagles' lead-off hitter scored twice and had one RBI.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) had two RBIs at the plate for the Eagles, while
Owen Atherton (Mankato, Minn./Mankato East) and
Mason Skrede (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) had two hits to contribute to the offense.
The Eagles will be back in action on Thursday, March 10 against another team that was in the NCAA National Tournament last season, Rowan University.
