ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team entered Friday night's nonconference game against Macalester with an overall record of 1-2 in 2024 but were trying to remain undefeated at the friendly confines of Reynolds Field. The Eagles accomplished that goal. UNW won their second consecutive home game, defeating the visiting Scots 9-1.
There were a handful of highlights in the decisive win, but none bigger than
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) making Northwestern history on the mound. The right hander entered the season already having secured his legacy as one of the best, and most versatile, players in school history. That legacy got even stronger on Friday night. Crabb's eight innings of one run ball gave him the win which was the 22
nd of his career. This made him the all-time winningest pitcher in Northwestern Baseball history having broken the tie of 21 wins with Mike Williams (class of 1992). The win was Crabb's first of the season and the righty will spend the rest of 2024 trying to extend his program record on the mound.
The game did not have a picture perfect start for Crabb on the mound as he surrendered a single to the first batter he faced. That leadoff single did not seem to rattle the Eagles' soon-to-be all-time winningest pitcher as he bounced back to strike out the next three batters and pitch a scoreless first inning. The Eagles would load the bases in the bottom of the first inning but would not score.
Crabb also found himself in a bases loaded jam in the top of the second as this time it was the Scots' turn to load em' up. Crabb would induce a ball hit right at the shortstop
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) and he turned a heads up, inning ending double play.
The Eagles' offense would sputter in the bottom of the second as the Macalester starting pitcher struck out the side. Crabb picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the third as he pitched another scoreless frame.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Eagles broke the scoreless tie.
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) led off with a single and then swiped second base. The UNW speedster would then advance to third when
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) was retired via a groundball.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian), the Eagles' starting pitcher, would hit a ball hard that would eat up the Macalester shortstop and allow Storts to score. UNW led 1-0 entering the fourth inning.
Crabb, after helping his own cause at the plate, was untouchable in the fourth and fifth innings. He retired all six batters he faced and picked up two more strikeouts on the way. In the sixth inning, the visitors finally put a dent in the Eagles' ace's armor. They used two singles, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single to score their first run of the game.
The scoreboard showed a 1-1 tie as UNW came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Eagles' offense would dominate in the final three frames in which they came to the plate. In the sixth inning,
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) hit a double, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch to break the tie.
UNW would break open the game in the seventh inning.
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong),
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College), and
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) would all hit doubles (amongst many other Eagle basehits) and when the dust settled after the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles had scored six runs and led 8-1.
Crabb would finish just as strong as he started; pitching another 1-2-3 inning in the eighth. An error by Macalester in the bottom of the eighth would allow UNW to score another insurance run.
Dreyer Homan (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) would relieve Crabb in the ninth as his walkout song "Can't Touch This" played over the speakers at Reynolds Field. He picked the perfect song as nobody touched him in the ninth. He pitched a perfect inning of relief and picked up two strikeouts to seal the 9-1 win for the Eagles.
The Eagles' offense picked up nine hits with four different players recording multi-hit games.
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka),
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Calif./Saint Mary's),
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College), and
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) led the way with two hits apiece. Pilon and Rabey each had two RBIs.
The Eagles will be back in action tomorrow when they host (RV) Bethel in a doubleheader at Reynolds Field. The two teams will play two seven inning game beginning at noon.
