ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team dropped a pair of games to Northland by scores of 3-2 (11 innings) and 4-2 on Saturday. The UNW Athletic Department honored Head Coach
Dave Hieb after the game with a ceremony on the field. Many former UNW Baseball players came back to honor their former coach and celebrate the fantastic 28 years that Coach Hieb has led the UNW Baseball team. Coach Hieb is retiring as the UNW Baseball Head Coach effective at the end of this season.
Game One
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph) turned in a fantastic pitching performance for the Eagles. The right hander got off to a strong start by striking out the side in the top half of the first inning. That dominant first inning would set the tone for an incredible pitching performance by the junior. Drinken would give up a pair of runs in the third inning, but then would hold the Lumberjacks scoreless all the way through the ninth inning as they game entered extra innings. Drinken would then pitch a scoreless tenth before Northland scored the game winning run in the eleventh inning. His final line on the mound was 11 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, and 10 strikeouts.
The Eagles trailed 2-0 throughout the early and middle innings as they struggled to get their offense on track. However, the team would come through in the clutch and deliver two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and force extra innings.
The bottom of the seventh started when
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) hit a leadoff single and stole second base.
Cal Johnson (Lino Lakes, Minn./Concordia Academy) then picked up a base hit which moved Rabey 90 feet closer.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) then drilled a double to deep left centerfield which scored Rabey and moved Johnson up to third base.
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) would walk to load the bases, and
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Cali./Saint Mary's) would hit a sacrifice fly to score Johnson and tie the game at 2-2.
In the top half of the eleventh inning Northland delivered a leadoff single and the runner would advance to third base thanks to a one out single later in the frame. A sacrifice fly on a line drive to left field would give the Lumberjacks the winning run they needed. UNW fell 3-2 in extra innings.
The Eagles did not struggle to get men on base. UNW's offense picked up nine hits and drew four walks, but left twelve men on base.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) was 2-5 with an RBI and
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) also had two hits in the contest.
Game Two
More solid pitching from both teams was on display once again in the second game of the doubleheader.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) was on the mound for the Eagles and pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. Northland would scrape a couple of unearned runs off of him in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead.
Brandon Welch (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) would deliver a big time moment for the Eagles in the bottom of the fourth when he picked up an RBI double to left field that scored
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley). Welch had a big game at the plate, picking up first two hits and first RBI of the season.
Northland would extend their lead by picking up single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The game would remain 4-1 in favor of the Lumberjacks before the Eagles attempted a rally in the ninth inning. UNW cut into the deficit when
Ben Spores (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Welch. The Eagles stranded the bases loaded to end the game and lost 4-2.
Severson was charged with his third loss of the year, but pitched well throughout the contest. The right hander went six innings only giving up two earned runs and picking up five strikeouts.
Dreyer Homan (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) was excellent out of the bullpen, pitching three scoreless innings of relief and picking up three strikeouts.
Up Next
The Eagles only have a week left in the season and will start the home stretch on Tuesday when they host North Central for the third and final game of the season against the Rams. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM, but will most likely be delayed due to the team celebrating senior day before the game.
