ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team opened up their final UMAC series of the regular season on Friday, and it was the opening game of a three game tilt with Martin Luther. The Eagles won an entertaining, back-and-forth game 11-8.
The weather was warm (finally) and so were the bats, and the scoring started almost immediately. Martin Luther went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, but in the bottom of the inning the Eagles scored two runs.
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) scored thanks to a
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) triple (fueled by the "Crab Rave") and Crabb would later come around to score on a sacrifice fly by
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte).
Martin Luther's bats would get going in the second inning on their way to taking their first lead of the afternoon. A sacrifice fly in the second inning gave the Knights their first run, and then a solo homerun and an Eagle error in the third inning gave them two more runs. The Knights led 3-2.
The Eagle deficit would be short lived. UNW responded with a four run third inning and things got started with a
Guerin Szafraniec (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) single up the middle that scored
Sam Peterson (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) and
Keegan Vercoe (Queen Creek, Ariz./Poston Butte).
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) would then foul off a couple pitches before ripping a double to left centerfield and Szafraniec along with
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) would come around to score. The Eagles had the lead once again, 6-3.
However, just as the Eagles did, the Knights came back with a vengeance and responded. In the top of the fifth inning, Mason Cox of the Knights would hit a three run homerun (the second of the day for the Knights) and the game was tied at six.
The most important sequence of events came in the bottom of the fifth inning with the game tied.
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) was on first base, and
Cramer Hamilton (Apple Valley, Calif./Excelsior) hit a ball to third base. The ball was misplayed as an error was charged, and with two outs that extended the inning and gave
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) a chance to bat. The freshman took advantage of it. Christenson launched his second homerun of the season over the left field fence, a three run shot, and the Eagles took the lead back 9-6.
The Eagles would take their three run lead into the bottom of the seventh when they would add a couple of insurance runs.
Trey Boushee (Fosston, Minn./Fosston) scored on a throwing error and
Payton Christenson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Falls) would leg out an infield single to score
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington). The Eagles led 11-6 when the Knights would get a couple runs back in the top of the eighth inning. UNW would win the opening game of the series, 11-8.
Sam Ludzack (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) picked up his second win of the season on the mound, throwing 7.1 innings.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) pitched the final 1.2 innings and did not give up an earned run.
The Eagles will close out UMAC play tomorrow as they play a doubleheader with the Knights at Reynolds Field to conclude the three game series. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:00 P.M.
