ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team continued their busy week by starting a three game series against Northland with a doubleheader on Friday. The series is taking place at Reynolds Field (the Eagles' home field) but the Northland College Lumberjacks are serving as the home team. The Eagles' offense was firing on all cylinders all afternoon long, sweeping the doubleheader by scores of 16-1 and 13-5.
Game One
A theme for the entire day was early offense for UNW.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) started the scoring when he hit a rocket down the left field line in the first inning. The ball would one hop the fence and
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) and
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) would score to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
The offense would continue to roll in the second inning as
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) stepped up to the plate. Spores would have an incredible day at the plate and he got things started in his first at bat of the day. Spores sent a two run homerun over the left field fence, his second of the season, to extend the lead. Later in the inning, Vercoe would hit a towering fly ball out to right centerfield. When the ball would finally land, it came down on the warning track and Vercoe had an RBI triple. The Eagles led 5-0 after two innings.
In the fourth inning, it was
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) continuing his career day. Spores sent another homerun, his third of the season and second of the day, over the left field fence. This time it was a solo shot for Spores. That would not be the end of the fourth inning for Eagle homeruns.
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) would hit the first homerun of his career and
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would hit his second homerun of the week to extend the Eagles lead. UNW scored nine runs in the fourth inning and took a 14-0 lead.
Owen Boerema (Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield) was on the mound for the Eagles and was spectacular once again. He would give up a single run in the contest, the Lumberjacks would push one across in the sixth, and the Eagles would add a few more insurance runs on their way to a 16-1 victory.
Boerema would pitch 7 innings and only give up three hits. Boerema racked up 12 strikeouts on the contest to continue his light out UMAC performance this season. Boerema is closing in on the program's all-time single season strikeout record.
Game Two
Similar to game one, the Eagles' offense would do damage immediately in the ball game. This time, it was a historic homerun that would give the Eagles the lead.
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) would take the ball the other way and hit a two run homerun over the left field fence. This was a significant baseball to track down because it marked another milestone. Vercoe, who is already the program's career homerun leader, hit his 14
th homerun of the season which is the new program record for single season homeruns. Vercoe broke his own record from a year ago when he hit 13 homeruns.
Due to a couple of RBI singles by
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) and an RBI double from
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) in the second and third innings the Eagles took a 6-0 lead after three innings. The Lumberjacks would start to fight back as they scored three runs in the third inning, but the Eagles would immediately respond in the fourth inning.
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would drive in runs in the fourth inning, and
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) and
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte) would drive in runs in the fifth inning. UNW led 10-3.
The Eagles would add three more insurance runs in the 7
th inning, highlighted by another
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) RBI double, and UNW would win game two 13-5 to sweep the doubleheader.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) pitched two innings after getting the start and did not give up a run.
Sam Ludzack (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) would then pitch seven innings to finish the game for the Eagles. Ludzack would strike out three batters.
Up Next
The Eagles will finish out the three game series with the Lumberjacks tomorrow at Reynolds Field starting at 2:00 P.M.
