ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team completed their three game regular season series with UMAC leading Wisconsin-Superior on Monday. The Eagles fell to the first place Yellowjackets in a high scoring affair, 12-9.
Wisconsin-Superior wasted no time jumping out of the gates and putting runs on the board right away. An offensive ambush in the first two innings saw the Yellowjackets (who were playing as the home team on the scoreboard despite the game being at Reynolds Field) take a 6-0 lead after the first two innings. Superior used an RBI sacrifice fly, double, and single to put up four runs in the first inning; then used a fielder's choice and an RBI single to put up two more in the second.
Facing an early 6-0 deficit, the Eagles went to work in the third. UNW stormed back to grab the momentum on their home diamond (despite playing as the visitors) with a six run third inning to come all the way back and tie the game.
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Cali./Saint Mary's), the only Eagle with a homerun so far this season, showed more of that run producing power when he ripped an RBI double that scored
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian).
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) went back to back with Garcia Jr. by ripping a second consecutive double that scored both Garcia Jr. and
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong). Karges would come around to score when
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) drove a single the opposite way to right center field.
Daniel Peterson (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) picked up an RBI by driving in Severson with a sacrifice fly. The final blow of the inning came when Crabb, in his second at bat of the inning, drilled a ball up the middle to score
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) to tie the game.
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Illinois/Yorkville), who got the start on the mound for the Eagles, would get back on the bump in the bottom of the third with all of the momentum on UNW's side. Hixon would give the raucous Eagle dugout even more to cheer about by pitching a scoreless frame.
However, UNW would be held scoreless in the fourth after Superior would induce an inning ending double play with the bases loaded. Having worked their way out of a major jam, the momentum was back on the Jackets' side and they would capitalize. They would score two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two more in the sixth to jump back in front 11-6.
As they showed earlier in the contest when they rallied from a six run deficit, the Eagles refused to go down quietly on Monday afternoon. Trailing by five in the seventh inning, UNW needed a rally to get back in the game. It started when
Daniel Peterson (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) hit a one out single. Crabb followed that up with a single of his own. Crabb would be retired at second base for the second out when
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) hit into a fielder's choice. After falling behind in the count 2-0 to
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Cali./Saint Mary's) the Yellowjackets decided to intentionally walk him to load the bases with two outs. Facing a left handed pitcher, lefty
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) would draw a walk to score Peterson.
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) would then pick up a two out RBI with a single that scored Pilon. Garcia Jr. would then score on another fielder's choice before the inning was over and UNW was back in the contest, trailing 11-9.
Superior would pick up an insurance run off of a solo homerun in the eighth inning and the Eagles would fail to get any closer; dropping the contest 12-9.
One of the highlights of the afternoon for UNW was
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) making his return to the mound after a long recovery from an injury sustained while playing quarterback for UNW Football. The junior came out of the bullpen to throw his first two innings of the season, giving up one run on one hit and picking up a strikeout.
The Eagles had eight different players collect 13 total hits in the contest.
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Cali./Saint Mary's) led the way with three hits while
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian),
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley), and
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) each had two hits apiece.
Up Next
The UMAC schedule keeps rolling along for UNW as they are back in action tomorrow April 11
th at Reynolds Field against North Central. Once again, the Eagles will be the road team despite playing on their home diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM.
