ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team has been busy as of late and on Monday afternoon the Eagles played their fourth game in three days. The Eagles lost 10-9 to the Scots of Macalester College in an exciting, extra innings game.
The scoring started right away. Macalester, the home team, hit a three homerun in the first inning to take an immediate lead. In the top half of the second inning, the Eagles started to fight back.
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton), who was named the UMAC Player of the Week earlier in the day, scored on a wild pitch.
Daniel Peterson (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) would then follow that up with a double to left centerfield that scored
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) to cut the Scots' lead to 3-2.
The Macalester offense continued to remain dialed in. Another ball that found its way over the fence in the second inning and another run scored in the third inning gave the home team a 6-2 lead after the early innings.
The middle innings were where the Eagles made their comeback, and it was a familiar face who got things going for visiting team.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) continued his phenomenal season with an RBI double that scored
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian).
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) continued to make an impact as a freshman by scoring
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) with a single. It was a bases loaded walk from
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) and a sacrifice fly
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) that finally brought the Eagles all the way back. The game was tied going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The tie would not last long as Macalester's offense went back to work in the bottom half of the sixth. The Scots took a lead with a run scoring single, but that lead was short lived as well.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) would come up with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, and the senior came through in the clutch, as he so often does, with a two run single. The Eagles had their first lead of the game, 8-7. Later in the inning, it was Szafraniec who continues to be a dangerous hitter who racked up an RBI single as well. The Eagles led 9-7.
As has had been the theme for the entire game, that lead did not last long. Matt Odom would hit his second homerun of the game for the Scots. This one was a two run shot that tied the game.
Finally, after a game full of offense, the pitching would take over. The game remained tied 9-9 heading all the way into extra innings. Finally in the bottom of the tenth, we would have a winner. Odom would be the hero once again for the Scots as he scored on a throwing error, and Macalester won in walk-off fashion, 10-9.
Sam Ludzack (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) got the start for the Eagles and went five innings and racked up two strikeouts.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) and
Sam Szymanski (Woodbury, Minn./Homeschool) each pitched in relief for UNW before
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would take the mound. Severson was fantastic as he pitched two scoreless innings, did not give up a hit, and struck out three batters.
Brandon Welch (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) also appeared on the mound for the Eagles.
It was a productive day for the UNW offense as it was
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) and
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) leading the way with three hits apiece.
The Eagles will continue this remarkable stretch of games as they play once again tomorrow at home against North Central. This will be the fifth game in four days for UNW Baseball.
