ST. PAUL, Minn.- It was a Sunday matinee for the University of Northwestern Baseball team as the Eagles opened up their three game series against Minnesota-Morris with a single game on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles started the series off on the right foot, winning the opener 6-1 over the Cougars.
The last time we saw the Eagles their offense struggled, but that was not the case early on in this game. The Eagles offense exploded in the first inning scoring five runs and taking an early, commanding lead. To no one's surprise, it was
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) getting things rolling for the Eagles' offense. After the first two batters of the game reached base for UNW, Vercoe stepped up to the plate and hit a double to right field. The Eagles' leadoff man
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) would score, and
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) would move to third base.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) would then single home Crabb, and an
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) sacrifice fly would score Vercoe.
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) would then continue the first inning ambush by hitting a ball to deep right centerfield. The ball would bang off the wall and Szafraniec would end up on second base with a double, and
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) scored.
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston), on the first pitch of the at bat, would trade places with Szafraniec as he hit a double of his own. Szafraniec scored, and when the dust settled the Eagles led 5-0 after the first inning of play.
In the second inning, the top of the Eagles' order would deliver once again.
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) got on base from his leadoff spot once again and would come around to score an unearned run after a throwing error on a ball that
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) hit to third base. The Eagles had a 6-0 lead after two innings.
After the early ambush by the Eagles' offense, Morris' pitching staff would settle down and pitch very well the rest of the game, holding the Eagles scoreless from the third inning on. However, the Eagles' six runs would hold up as they once again received an excellent pitching performance from their ace.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) continued his red hot performance on the mound with another strong outing on Sunday. The hard throwing lefthander improved to 5-1 on the season and remained undefeated in UMAC contests. Boerema pitched eight innings, only gave up five hits, and once again had strong strikeout numbers picking up 12 punch outs. Boerema only gave up one run in the game. This was the first run that Boerema had surrendered since March 11
th against Marian University in Florida. Boerema put together five consecutive starts without giving up a run, and the run the Cougars scored today marks the first run Boerema has given up to a UMAC opponent this season.
Noah Skarda (Nipomo, Calif./St. Joseph's) pitched a scoreless inning for the Eagles in the seventh, and did not give up a hit while picking up a strikeout.
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) led the Eagles with two hits in the contest, and five different Eagles had an RBI in the game.
The Eagles and the Cougars will conclude their three game series at Reynolds Field tomorrow as they play a doubleheader starting at 1:00 P.M.
