ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team made a statement this past weekend with a sweep of Bethany Lutheran who had previously been undefeated in UMAC play. The Eagles are currently tied for first place in the conference, but on Wednesday afternoon, the Eagles took a brief trip into St. Paul and back into non-conference play.
The trip was short in distance to the opponent and short in terms out venturing out of conference play. The trip was to Macalester College which is just down the road and the Eagles are returning right back to conference play tomorrow after a single game against the Scots. UNW led the MIAC opponent all the way until the ninth inning but it was Macalester who was victorious in 10 innings, 9-6.
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) is Northwestern's lead off man, gold glove center fielder (yes we know that is an MLB thing, but it's a fun way to describe a really good defender), and also happens to be the Eagles' hottest hitter at the moment. He started the game with a double to center field. He would advance to third base but wouldn't get any further as the Eagles went down scoreless in the first.
Noah Skarda (Nipomo, Calif./St. Joseph's) was the Eagles' starting pitcher and he surrendered a lead off double in the first as well. However, he also able to work around the lead off two bagger and pitch a scoreless opening frame.
In the second inning, UNW had runners on second and third with only one out.
Christian Raya (Moline, Ill./Moline) had walked and came around to score an unearned run thanks to a Macalester error. In the home half, Skarda worked around another lead off double and used three ground outs to pitch a scoreless second. UNW led 1-0.
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) doubled in the third but he would be stranded there. In the third inning, Skarda got to two outs without allowing a Scot runner to score but there were men on base. The Scots picked up four straight two out hits to score three runs and take a 3-1 lead after three.
UNW answered with a three spot of their own in the fourth.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) singled (his second hit of the game) and moved all the way to third base on back-to-back wild pitches. Storts singled him home.
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake), who had walked earlier in the frame, came around to score on a
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) double.
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) drew a walk to load the bases and Karges drew a walk to score a run. Northwestern was back on top, 4-3.
Macalester got a run back in the fifth and the game entered the seventh inning locked in a 4-4 tie. In the top of the seventh, Severson and Rabey hit consecutive singles. Storts bunted them over and once again UNW had runners on second and third, this time with two outs. Crabb came up to the plate and delivered an ice cold, two out, two run single. The Scots answered with a singular run in the home half of the frame but nonetheless, UNW led 6-5 entering the eighth.
Both teams went down scoreless in the eighth and the game moved to the bottom of the ninth with the Eagles leading by a run. The Scots used a one out double, a single, and a sacrifice fly ball to tie the game. Later in the ninth, Macalester had the bases loaded with two outs and a chance to win the game.
Andrew Simon (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Mounds View) induced a fly out and the game went to extra innings.
The Eagles threatened in the top of the tenth when
Grady Karges (Oriska, N.D./Maple Valley) drew a two out walk. He took second base on a wild pitch but would be stranded there. In the bottom of the tenth, Macalester hit a walk off three run home run to win the game 9-6.
The Eagles are jumping right back into conference play this week with a three game series against fellow 12-3 Wisconsin-Superior. Game one will start at 6:00 PM at Reynolds Field on Thursday, April 25
th.
