ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn.- After splitting a pair of games on Saturday, the Northwestern Eagles and the Crown College Storm faced off in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles won the series by defeating the Storm in game three, 15-1.
Despite dropping the second game yesterday, the Eagles scored four runs in the ninth inning to generate some positive offensive momentum going into today's game with the same opponent. The Eagles rode that momentum right away in Sunday's game as the offense exploded for their second highest run total of the season.
The offense started right away in the first inning.
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and came through in the clutch. The senior sent a ball to left field that landed for a double that cleared the bases giving the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
Crown would get a run of their own in the bottom of the second inning, but the Eagles offense went right back to work in the top half of the third.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) launched a solo homerun, and
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) continued his monster series with a two run blast of his own. This would not be the last time either of these seniors would make an impact in this game as the Eagles now led 6-1.
In the top half of the fourth inning,
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) would continue his red hot streak at the plate. The outfielder would hit his third homerun of the series, a two run shot, to give the Eagles an 8-1 lead. Vercoe has eight homeruns on the season.
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) would come back up to the plate in the sixth inning and continued to prove he is locked in at the plate. Szafraniec hit a two run homerun, his second of the day and his fourth of the season, and the Eagles had a commanding 10-1 lead.
In the eighth inning, the Eagles delivered the final blow to the Storm.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) joined Szafraniec with a multiple homerun game as he launched a two run blast. Peterson is second on the Eagles with six homeruns on the season.
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) would hit a two run single in the inning and
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) followed it up with a sacrifice fly to land the score at 15-1.
The Eagles' explosive offense stole the show, but the pitching performance was fantastic as well.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) pitched eight innings only giving up one run. The Storm only mustered up six hits off of the junior and Crabb finished with six punch outs.
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) had a legendary day at the plate. The senior finished 4-5 with two homeruns and seven RBIs.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) finished with three runs batted in off of his two homeruns, and
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) scored three runs thanks to his 4-5 performance at the plate.
The Eagles will continue their busy stretch as they will play their fourth game in three days tomorrow when they play at Macalester College. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00pm.
