ST. PAUL, Minn. – After opening UMAC competition with a 5-1 win over North Central University on Friday, the University of Northwestern Baseball team ramped things up on Saturday for the final two games of the series, rolling to wins of 16-4 (in seven innings) and 19-2 scores. A steady offensive effort in game one, a 10-run ninth inning in game two, and outstanding pitching all day allowed the Eagles to improve to 5-7 on the season and begin conference play 3-0.
Game One
UNW wasted no time putting runs on the board on a picture-perfect March Saturday. Once again serving as the road team on the scoreboard at Reynolds Field due to venue relocation, the first four batters of the game reached base, including back-to-back singles from
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) and
Christian Raya (Moline, Ill./Moline) to get the first run on the board.
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) brought the second run home via a sacrifice fly, then Greco made it 3-0, scampering home on a wild pitch.
The Rams were able to get on the board in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a two-out error, but Northwestern answered right back in the third.
Parker Huebsch (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) led off the frame with a single to center field, then an error and a walk loaded the bases. Another error plated Huebsch, then freshman
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East) clubbed a two-run double down the right-field line to extend the lead to 6-1. The next two batters produced runs as well, as a
Jack Burns (Plainfield, Ill./Aurora Christian) sac fly and a Greco groundout made the score 8-1.
NCU added one run in the third inning and two more in the fourth to pull within four, but the Eagles' offense exploded again in the top of the fifth. After once again loading the bases, Burns grounded out to bring a run home. A Greco single brought another one across, then Hixon crushed a two-run double to left to push the margin to eight. A bases-loaded walk drawn by
Bryce Campbell (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) made it 13-4.
Still needing one more run to put the run rule on the table, UNW went to work at the plate again in the top of the seventh inning.
Jeremiah Holmes (West Covina, Calif./San Dimas) hit an RBI single to increase the lead to 10, but the Eagles were determined to add some insurance to the lead. Winter followed with a single, then Burns tripled to right field, scoring both of his fellow rookies to make it 16-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Grant Lindholm (Ham Lake, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) finished off the game on the mound as the run rule was officially deployed.
Northwestern's first three hitters in the lineup (Winter, Burns and Greco) all recorded two hits, adding two, four and two RBI, respectively. Hixon drove in three runs, while Raya, Campbell and Holmes were each credited with one RBI. Winter and Hixon each doubled, and Burns tripled. Freshman
Kason Pietruszewski (Warroad, Minn./Warroad) earned the win on the mound, giving up just six hits and three earned runs in five innings, while striking out two. Lindholm threw the final two innings, did not allow a run and only scattered two hits.
Game Two
Despite the eventual larger margin of victory, the game two scoring didn't start nearly as early as its predecessor's. The first three innings were scoreless as Raya racked up five strikeouts on the bump. The Eagles finally broke through in the top of the fourth, when Hixon led off with a single and came around to score on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Another wild pitch brought Huebsch home, and the score reached 3-0 when Winter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. UNW would ultimately leave the bases full after a two-out lineout to first ended the inning.
With the metaphorical "lid off the basket" (it is March after all), North Central responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within a run. The next two innings went by without a run, but the Northwestern bats woke up again in the seventh. Consecutive singles from Greco and Hixon brought Burns around to score, then an
AJ Kazel (Esko, Minn./Esko) infield single made it 5-2. A walk loaded the bases, then Campbell promptly cleared them, tripling to left field and extending the lead to 8-2. The Eagles added one more for good measure, as Holmes singled Campbell home to push the lead to seven.
Solomon Kardell (Coon Rapids, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) relieved Raya and sent the Rams down in order in the seventh and eighth innings before receiving the cushion of a lifetime from his offense. Three-straight singles from Kazel,
Alex Klein (Olathe, Kans./Olathe Northwest) and Campbell led off the top of the ninth and gave UNW a 10-2 advantage. After a strikeout, the next two batters were hit, plating Klein. A
Logan Karnowski (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) groundout scored Campbell and extended the lead to 10, then Huebsch drove two home with a bases-loaded double, resulting in a 14-2 margin. A wild pitch brought in another run, then Huebsch came around on Kazel's second single of the inning.
Andrew Johnson (Dalton, Minn./Fergus Falls) hit a pinch-hit, RBI double to score Hazel, and a pinch-hit, two-run single from
Michael Borchardt (Rib Lake, Wis./Rib Lake) ended the scoring after a 10-run inning that put the Eagles ahead 19-2. NCU was able to get a couple of runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but
Luke O'Rourke (Columbia Heights, Minn./Irondale) closed it out without a blemish.
Kazel was UNW's best bat in game two, going 3-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. Campbell went 2-4 with a triple and four RBI, while Huebsch and Borchardt each drove in two. Hixon and Holmes logged two hits apiece, and Winter, Burns, Karnowski, Hixon, Johnson and Holmes all were credited with one RBI. Huebsch and Johnson hit the team's two doubles, and Raya earned the win on the mound after striking out 11 in six innings of work. Kardell and O'Rourke combined to throw three scoreless inning and gave up one combined hit.
Up Next
Northwestern will be at Reynolds Field again on Tuesday, March 24th, to host Bethel for a 4:00 PM tilt.
