FORT PIERCE, Fla. – The University of Northwestern Baseball team double-dipped on Saturday, playing a doubleheader with Monmouth College. Both games were seven innings, and both resulted in Monmouth wins. The Scots defeated the Eagles 8-4 in game one and 5-4 in game two.
Game One
After starting one hour after the scheduled time due to the preceding game going 13 innings, things finally got going at 2:30 PM local time. Monmouth got out to a fast start with a pair of first-inning runs, while Northwestern didn't get its first hit until the top of the third. UNW was able to get two runners on in the third, but could not bring them home.
The Scots tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the third, but the Eagles answered right back in the top of the fourth.
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) led off the inning with a single, then
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) was hit by a pitch. An
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) fly out advanced both runners, then
Colton Toutant (Dodge, Wis./Homeschool) singled them both home. The score remained 5-2 into the sixth inning, despite Northwestern getting two more runners on base in the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Severson led off the inning by reaching base on an error. He advanced to third on the ensuing two outs, then scored on a
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) single to left center. After UNW pulled within two at 5-3 in the top of the sixth, Monmouth created some separation in the bottom half, scoring three runs to extend its lead to 8-3. In the top of the seventh, the Eagles tried to mount one final rally.
Benji Bruce (Andover, Minn./Maranatha Christian) hit a one-out double to center, then Bligh singled him home. Severson reached on an infield single with two outs, but the rally would end there, with the Scots hanging onto an 8-4 victory in game one.
Bligh finished the game 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Toutant drove in two runs and Greco one, while
Jayden King (Wahpeton, N.D./Wahepton Senior) suffered the loss on the mound.
Game Two
Northwestern got off to a much better start in the finale, putting a run up in the first inning when
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka), who tripled to lead off the game, scored on a sacrifice fly by
Benji Bruce (Andover, Minn./Maranatha Christian). In the bottom of the second,
Gabriel Kennedy (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) led off with a single.
Caleb Vereide (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) walked and
Beau Rabey (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) hit an infield single to load the bases.
Bryce Campbell (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) hit a sac fly to bring Kennedy home and make the score 2-0, but UNW was unable to plate anymore runs.
The third inning was one to forget for the Eagles, as Monmouth put up five runs to take control of the game. The next time Northwestern was able to get a runner in scoring position was in the final half inning of the game, the bottom of the seventh. Vereide led off the inning with a single, then
Christian Raya (Moline, Ill./Moline) was hit by a pitch with one out. After a strikeout, Storts hit a single up the middle to score Vereide, then Raya scored on the following at-bat when the Scots' third baseman made an error. Unfortunately for UNW, Storts was tagged out trying to swipe third on that same play, ending the game with a score of 5-4.
Hixon and Storts each had two hits in game two, and the latter produced one RBI as well. Bruce and Campbell claimed the other two RBI.
Aaron Severson (Columbia Heights, Minn./Columbia Heights) took the loss on the mound, while
Caleb Hautajarvi (Barnum, Minn./Barnum Secondary) was solid in relief, giving up only two hits in three innings and striking out two.
Up Next
The Eagles will have Sunday off before taking on Wabash College on Monday morning at 9:00 AM CT (10:00 AM ET). Stay tuned to unweagles.com and follow @UNWBaseball on X for more updates.
