ASHLAND, Wis.- Entering Friday afternoon's series opening contest with Northland College, the University of Northwestern Baseball team was 1-1 in games that went into extra innings in 2024. Friday's tilt between the two UMAC schools needed 10 innings to crown a winner and the Eagles dropped their second extra innings contest of the season, falling 3-2.
Friday's game, the first of three that the two teams will play against each other this weekend, was an old-fashioned, grind-it-out, pitchers' duel.
Nick Drinken (Randolph, Minn./Randolph), entering the game having struck out ten batters in three consecutive starts, got the nod on the mound for the Eagles in the road contest. He was nearly untouchable through the opening four innings. After four cracks at the plate, the Lumberjacks only managed two hits, a walk, and no runs against the Eagles' starting pitcher.
Unfortunately for the UNW supporters, the Eagles weren't able to muster much offense through the first four innings either. The Eagles didn't have a hit through the first four frames and their only base runner came when
Benji Bruce (Minneapolis, Minn./Maranatha Christian) was hit by a pitch in the second at bat of the game.
The tides turned and the offenses woke up in the fifth inning. It started with the Eagles in the top half of the frame.
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) picked up the team's first hit of the game with a leadoff single. The next batter,
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), hit a ground ball to third base. He was retired at first, but Karges recognized the lack of offense in the game up until this point and decided to be aggressive and force the issue. He advanced to third base and the throw to try and get him out was errant and he came around to score on the play. 1-0 UNW.
Northland, who was also scoreless through four innings, followed up the Eagles' opening run with one of their own in the home half of the fifth. The Jacks got runners on base thanks to back-to-back singles to start the inning. A sacrifice fly would later bring one of those runners around to score and tie the game at 1-1.
The Eagles flied out three times to go down 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Northland used a double, single, and a groundout to take their first lead of the game: 2-1.
Drinken would settle in and pitch a scoreless seventh and eighth innings to not allow any more damage. Drinken's final line for his start was eight innings, seven hits, two runs, and seven strikeouts.
Trailing by a run in the eighth inning, the Eagles set the stage for what would be a back-and-forth, dramatic finish to this ball game. It appeared as if the top of the eighth would go quickly because the first two Eagle batters flied out. However,
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) drew a two out walk followed by
Benji Bruce (Minneapolis, Minn./Maranatha Christian) reaching base on an error by the Lumberjacks' infield. Late in the game, trailing by a run, with a runner in scoring position… who would Eagle fans want at the plate? Ding ding ding… that's right:
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian). The Eagle veteran stepped up to the plate and ripped a single to left field. Storts came motoring around third base and tied the game at 2-2.
The top of the eighth wasn't over after Crabb's clutch, run scoring hit.
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) drew a walk and the Eagles had the bases loaded with two outs and a chance to take the lead. A fly out ended the threat.
Each side had a chance to win the game in the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth,
Gilbert Garcia Jr. (Stockton, Calif./Saint Mary's) drew a walk and
Bryce Campbell (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) came in to pinch run and immediately stole second base. That big hit eluded the Eagles once again as Campbell was stranded at second base.
In the bottom of the ninth, Drinken was lifted from the game and
Caleb Hautajarvi (Barnum, Minn./Barnum Secondary) came in to pitch for UNW out of the bullpen. The freshman struck out the first batter he saw but then surrendered a one out single. The Northland base runner stole second base and the Lumberjacks had a chance to win the game. The freshman stayed cool, calm, and collected on the mound as he picked up a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat. Free baseball in Ashland.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) picked up a single in the top of the tenth for UNW; but that was it for the Eagles. The game entered the bottom of the tenth still locked in a 2-2 tie.
A walk and an error instantly put Hautajarvi in some hot water on the mound. Northland had runners on first and third base with nobody out. Head Coach
Jesse Eikum came to the mound to talk to his team and told the infield to come in. With the infielders playing on the edge of the grass, Coach Eikum's game plan worked perfectly. A ground ball was hit at
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) (the Eagles' shortstop) and he fired home to cut down the winning run. The runner got stuck in a rundown but was eventually tagged out at third base. The game was still tied. With runners on first and second and one out, the infielders moved back to double play depth. The Northland batter hit a ball softly right in between Hautajarvi and Crabb and there was no play. The bases were loaded with one out. The Northland batter lifted a ball to deep centerfield, the ball landed, and the Lumberjack players rushed the field in celebration of a walk-off victory. Northland defeated Northwestern 3-2.
This is an important series between the two UMAC teams and Northwestern will look to bounce back in a doubleheader with Northland tomorrow (Saturday, April 13
th). Game one is scheduled for 1:30 PM with the finale set to follow.
