ST. PAUL, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Baseball team was already facing an unusual weekend, playing two games against the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Saturday and one on Sunday instead of the usual Friday-Saturday conference series, due to vast temperature differences between Friday and Sunday. Things got even more bizarre when the Eagles and Yellowjackets completed their first 18 innings of the weekend...and still had one more game of the Saturday doubleheader to play. Yes, that's right, the series opener lasted the same number of innings as two entire baseball games, with UWS prevailing by a score of 9-8 after four hours and 41 minutes. The nightcap, which started 2.5 hours later than scheduled, appeared primed to head into extra innings as well, but UNW was able to load up the bases in the bottom of the ninth and walk it off on a hit batter to win 3-2.
Game One
The series opener got off to a rough start for Northwestern and its ace,
Dreyer Homan (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY), as Superior was able to score four runs in the first inning. The senior was ultimately able to settle in and did not give up a run over the next five innings. The Eagles' offense was slow to get going as well, as the Yellowjackets' perfect game on the mound lasted into the fourth inning, and UNW's first hit didn't come until the fifth, when
Bryce Campbell (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) singled with two outs already recorded. Once the senior got the monkey off the proverbial back, the floodgates seemed to open for Northwestern, as
Jeremiah Holmes (West Covina, Calif./San Dimas) doubled Campbell home and came around to score himself on an RBI single from
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East), trimming the deficit to 4-2.
The Eagles threatened in the bottom of the sixth as well, but were unable to get anyone home despite filling the bases with two outs. The Jackets tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh and brought in a new pitcher, but UNW seemed to figure him out pretty quickly. Two walks and a
Jack Burns (Plainfield, Ill./Aurora Christian) single loaded up the bases, and Burns would score when
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) was plunked with a pitch.
Kason Pietruszewski (Warroad, Minn./Warroad), who came on as a pinch runner in the sixth, hit an RBI single to bring home another run, and an
Alex Klein (Olathe, Kans./Olathe Northwest) infield single tied the game at five-apiece. Campbell, who broke up the no-hitter, dug in with the bases loaded and one out, and crushed a three-run triple to right-center field, giving Northwestern its first lead of the day at 8-5.
All the momentum appeared to be on UNW's side heading into the eighth inning, but UWS took advantage of
Jesse Eikum going to his bullpen with Homan approaching 140 pitches, and scored three runs to even the score at eight. After both teams went down 1-2-3 in their next plate appearances, the Eagles got a run into scoring position in the bottom of the ninth after Pietruszewski led off with a walk and stole second base; but the freshman was stranded, and the game headed to extra innings. Northwestern again appeared on the brink of victory when Winter led off the bottom of the 10th with a triple to right-center, but the next two batters quickly went down.
AJ Kazel (Esko, Minn./Esko) pinch hit and hit a missile to the left of the UW-Superior third baseman, but the defender made an incredible diving stop and threw a dart to first base to steal the final out of the inning and extend the game.
Both teams posed threats at various points over the next handful of innings--Superior loaded the bases in the 11th, Burns hit a double with one out in the 12th--but the pitching and defense always seemed to win out in what suddenly turned from a shootout into a pitchers' duel. In fact,
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East) wound up throwing seven innings and nearly 100 pitches of shutout ball in relief, and UWS's Gio Basile did the same across six innings in extras. In the bottom of the 17th, the crowd rose to its feet as it appeared the game finally might end when
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) hit a single up the middle with runners on first and second, and two outs; but the lead runner was gunned down at the plate thanks to a laser of a throw, and we marched on to the 18th inning.
After another Northwestern pitching change which sent Winter back from the mound to shortstop, the Yellowjackets were finally able to end the stalemate and scrape a run across to take a 9-8 lead. The Eagles got a runner on in the bottom half, but a double play ended the game.
In a game where most UNW starters saw nine plate appearances, Campbell was the most productive, driving in three runs and clubbing a double and a triple. Burns and Hixon each tallied three hits, with the former adding a double, while Holmes's lone hit was an RBI double. Klein and Winter each had two hits and an RBI, while Pietruszewski also drove in a run. Burns and Winter were lights out on the mound in relief as well, with Burns throwing three scoreless innings and giving up just one hit, and Winter throwing seven scoreless with two hits and six strikeouts. Holmes was credited with the loss on the mound after pitching the 18th inning.
Game Two
After some discussion about whether to even play the second game on Saturday or play a doubleheader on Sunday, the teams decided to gut it out. It appeared game two might wind up similar to its predecessor after a two-run home run gave UW-Superior a quick, 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Northwestern answered right back in the bottom half. Hixon hit a two-out double to left-center field, and came home on a Raya single to right field. The right fielder was unable to handle the hop on Raya's single, allowing the first baseman to scamper all the way to third and score the tying run on
Caleb Hautajarvi's (Barnum, Minn./Barnum Secondary) single a few pitches later.
With four runs on the scoreboard after one inning for the second game in a row, fans began to get comfortable for what threatened to be another marathon contest; but the scoring screeched to a halt, as strong defense and pitching kept zeroes on the scoreboard into the bottom of the ninth inning. Greco led off the frame with a single to right-center and was pinch ran for by
Logan Karnowski (Blaine, Minn./Blaine). Karnowski advanced to second on a Klein sacrifice bunt attempt that wound up being a bunt single, but was thrown out at third when Campbell tried his hand at a sac bunt. Holmes was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and the very next pitch found the elbow of Winter to give Northwestern a 3-2 win to even the series. A fitting way for the team with a UMAC-leading 48 hit-by-pitches (19 clear of second place) to win a game.
The stars of game two were the pitchers, as Pietruszewski got the start and went seven innings, giving up just the two first-inning runs and six hits, while striking out five. Hautajarvi pitched the final two innings and earned the win after surrendering just two hits and striking out three.
Up Next
The rubber match of the series will begin at 1:00 PM on Sunday from Reynolds Field.
