MANKATO, Minn.- It was a historic day on Saturday afternoon as the Eagles finished their three game series with a doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran. The Eagles and the Vikings split the doubleheader as a twenty year old program record was broken.
Game One
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) would make this his day and he started that trend right away in game one. Vercoe entered the day with 9 homeruns on the season and 22 in his career, needing one homerun to tie the program record for career homeruns and two more to break the record. He would get that and much more on the afternoon. Vercoe started the scoring in the third inning with a three run homerun, tying the school record and giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Bethany Lutheran would respond with an offensive outburst of their own. After being shut out yesterday, the Bethany offense found its rhythm in the middle innings of game one. The Vikings scored one run in the third, four runs in the fourth, and another run in the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would come up to the plate in the 8
th inning with the bases loaded and drew a walk to drive in a run. Despite cutting into the lead, it would not be enough and the Eagles would fall to the Vikings 6-4 in the first game of the doubleheader.
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) got the start on the mound for UNW and pitched four innings.
Sam Ludzack (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) would pitch four innings in relief as well, and only gave up one run.
Game Two
In the second game of the doubleheader,
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) made UNW Baseball history. Vercoe hit a two run homerun in the first inning to etch himself into the record books. The homerun was the 24
th of Vercoe's career which made him the best power hitter in the history of Eagle baseball. The previous mark was held by Craig Scheithauer (96-99) who ended his fantastic career with 23 career homeruns. Vercoe accomplished this feat in only a season and a half with the Eagles.
Vercoe was not done on the afternoon. The senior hit another homerun in the second inning to give him 12 homeruns on the season, and 25 in his career. Vercoe set the single season homerun record last season with 13, a mark that he is closing in on once again.
The Eagles' offense, thanks in large part to Vercoe, was on fire in the finale of the series. The Eagles scored five runs in the first inning, one in the second, five more in the fourth, and four in the seventh inning. UNW won the game 15-1 to take two of the three games of the series.
There were a lot of big time offensive performances put on by the Eagles' in the win. Vercoe went 3-4 at the plate and drove in four runs while scoring four more.
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) went 2-5 with four RBIs and
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) went 2-4 with three runs scored and three runs driven in.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) and
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) each had three hits for the Eagles, and
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) had three hits with two RBIs.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) pitched very well for the Eagles in the win. The junior moved to 5-1 on the season by pitching a complete game (7 innings). Crabb did not give up an earned run and struck out four. The right hander's command was on display as he did not walk a batter throughout his seven innings of work.
Up Next
The Eagles are now 8-3 in conference play, and will transition back into nonconference play as they travel to St. Peter to play Gustavus Adolphus College on Monday, April 18
th. The Eagles will play a doubleheader with the games set to begin at 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
