ST. PAUL, Minn.- "Warm" can be a relative term especially in Minnesota during the spring. Most people would probably not classify Saturday's weather at Reynolds Field as "warm", but for baseball weather on February 24
th? It was absolutely gorgeous.
Head Coach
Jesse Eikum led the Eagles against Augsburg University in his first ever game as UNW's Head Baseball Coach. Despite trailing for the majority of the game, Eikum's Eagles rallied and gave their coach a perfect opening game present: an 8-7 walk-off win in extra innings.
The Eagles had a picture perfect finish to the game, but they also had a picture perfect start to the game.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) was on the mound and despite giving up a single, pitched a scoreless first inning. UNW would then score in the bottom of the frame. Crabb (yes, the same guy. He also hits leadoff for the Eagles, he really is that guy) hit a leadoff double down the left field line and
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) would later hit a single to bring him around to score. UNW had a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Augsburg would use the power in their lineup to counter the Eagles' opening run. The visiting Auggies would use an RBI double in the second inning to tie the game and then tagged Crabb for a solo homerun in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead. After pitching scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Crabb gave up another solo homerun in the sixth inning. The Auggies would then use small ball to get a run off of relief pitcher
Andrew Simon (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Mounds View) in the seventh inning.
After a hot start, the Eagles' bats went cold. Despite having a handful of scoring opportunities, UNW was held scoreless from the second inning all the way through the seventh.
Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, the home team put their rally caps on and went to work. The final three innings of the season opening contest were a back-and-forth roller coaster that kept fans entertained and coaches stressed out.
UNW's rally started when
Owen Atherton (Mankato, Minn./Mankato East) led off the eighth inning with a double off the fence in left centerfield. With one out,
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) hit a single to left field and when the ball was bobbled by Augsburg's left fielder, Atherton came around to score. After a pitching change, freshman
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) came up with the biggest hit of his young career. He was able to tuck a line drive inside the right field line and the ball rolled all the way to the fence. Rabey would score and when the dust settled, Storts had an RBI triple and was standing on third as the tying run. Crabb would then hit a groundball to first that allowed Storts to score. In just one frame, the Eagles had come all the way back and tied the game at 4-4.
The drama was far from over. In the top of the ninth, Augsburg used a clutch, two-out, RBI single to take back the lead, 5-4. That lead only lasted one out. With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning,
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) launched a ball out to straight away centerfield. The ball had just enough legs to clear the fence. It was the first Eagle homerun of the season and it tied the game at 5-5. UNW would not score again in the ninth and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, Augsburg picked up two runs using a pair of singles, a walk, and a hit batter.
Entering the bottom of the tenth inning, the Eagles trailed 7-5 and the Auggies only needed three more outs to secure the season opening win. They would not record any more outs in the game. Rabey and Storts each singled to start the frame. Crabb found the sweet spot of the bat and laced a double to left centerfield which allowed Rabey and Storts to score and tie the game. This brought Saturday's walk-off hero to the plate:
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights). Severson drilled a ball to the wall in right centerfield for a walk-off double as Crabb came around to score the winning run.
Dreyer Homan (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) picked up the first win of his career on the mound, pitching three innings of relief in the victory.
Head Coach
Jesse Eikum picks up his first win as the Eagles' head coach and will bring his team on the road next week to continue to ride this early season momentum. UNW will play a doubleheader against Gustavus Adolphus on Monday, February 26
th in St. Peter.
