ARDEN HILLS, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team is locked in an epic, four team race for a conference championship this week. The UMAC Champion (and #1 seed in next week's UMAC Postseason Tournament) will be determined this weekend. However, the Eagles were not thinking about that on Tuesday afternoon.
The Eagles had two things on their mind on Tuesday: 1. Their non-conference match up with crosstown rival Bethel University and 2. Completing the game before Tuesday night's storm rolled through town. The game moved at a brisk pace and all nine innings were completed before the storm arrived in Arden Hills. The Eagles and the Royals played a tight, competitive ball game that ended with Bethel coming out on top 4-3.
Andrew Simon (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Mounds View), the Eagles' starting pitcher, only needed seven pitches to set the Royals down in order in the bottom of the first. A couple of wild pitches ended up giving Bethel their first run in the bottom of the second and in the home half of the third, the Royals scored on an RBI single. UNW trailed 2-0 after three innings.
Bryce Crabb (Des Moines, Iowa/Grand View Christian) started the Eagles' fourth with a lead-off single and ended up on second base thanks to a balk. With two outs,
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) drilled a double to deep right center field to score Crabb and put the Eagles on the scoreboard. Hixon ended up coming around to score to tie the game on an RBI single by
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights). Severson was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double to end the inning, but the game was now tied 2-2.
Simon pitched scoreless fourth and fifth innings to keep the Eagles and Royals deadlocked at two runs apiece. Simon was lifted from the game after five innings of work and gave way to
Noah Skarda (Nipomo, Calif./St. Joseph's). Skarda pitched two shutout innings to start his appearance. The Eagles were also held scoreless through the middle innings and the game was set up for some late inning drama, tied 2-2 entering the eighth.
The Eagles were held scoreless in the top of the eighth before the Royals came up to the plate in the home half. After only picking up one hit in two innings off of Skarda, Bethel finally got the bats going off of UNW's reliever in the eighth. Skarda retired the first man he faced before giving up a go-ahead, solo home run. The Royals followed that up with a single. The next batter doubled but a great defensive play kept the Eagles' deficit at one run. The Royal base runner tried to score from first base but
Caleb Vereide (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) (the center fielder), threw a perfect ball to
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) (his cutoff man at second base), who caught it and fired a laser to
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) (the catcher) who applied the tag at the plate for the out. Bethel added one more run before the frame was over.
Entering the top of the ninth and final inning, the Eagles trailed 4-2. They chipped into the lead but were unable to come all the way back. Hixon singled and moved to second base on a passed ball.
Benji Bruce (Minneapolis, Minn./Maranatha Christian) pinch hit and delivered a run scoring single to bring the Eagles to within a run. The Eagles would load the bases (bringing the tying run to third base) but did not cash in with runners in scoring position. Bethel hung on for the 4-3 win.
Now that Tuesday's non-conference contest is out of the way; all eyes move to this weekend where the Eagles have a chance to win a conference championship. UNW plays a three game set against Crown College starting on Friday, May 3
rd. UNW is trying to catch Bethany Lutheran, who is currently in first place in the UMAC standings, and the Vikings play Wisconsin-Superior this weekend.
