ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Baseball team is hosting the UMAC Postseason Tournament this weekend and competed in the tournament's opening game. The opening day of UMAC playoff competition was not kind to the higher seeds. #2 UNW fell 12-0 to #3 Wisconsin Superior; and in the nightcap, #1 Bethany Lutheran fell 2-1 in extra innings to #4 Crown.
Home runs set the tone early for the Yellowjackets. The visitors hit a pair of home runs to left field in the first inning (a two run blast and a solo shot) to draw first blood in the first game of the weekend. In the fourth inning, UWS had two runners on base and their batter lifted a ball deep down the left field line. Everybody in the Eagles' dugout was wishing it foul and the members of the Yellowjackets' dugout were hoping it would stay fair. It was fair but not by much. The ball tucked just inside the foul pole for a three run home run. Superior led 7-0 after four innings with all of their runs coming via the long ball.
After the early onslaught of home runs, the Eagles' pitching staff was able to keep the Jackets in the yard. However, Superior transitioned to playing "small ball" to put some more runs on the board. They scored a run in the fifth off of a wild pitch and added five runs in the seventh using three RBI singles and another wild pitch to score. UNW dropped the opening game of the UMAC tournament, 12-0.
UNW's offense had four hits in the game.
Isaac Pilon (Robbinsdale, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) was 2-3 while
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) was on base twice thanks to a hit and a walk. The Eagles' best chance to score against the Yellowjackets' starting pitcher came in the bottom of the second frame. Pilon and Hixon hit back-to-back singles to start the inning but UNW did not score.
With the two top seeds in the UMAC Tournament dropping their opening game; it is "win or go home" time on Friday. #2 Northwestern will take on #1 Bethany Lutheran at Reynolds Field for some early morning baseball (first pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM). The tournament is double elimination which means the loser of this game will see their 2024 season come to a close. The team that wins this game between the Eagles and Vikings will stay alive and play the loser of Crown-Superior at 4:00 PM.
