MINNEAPOLIS - After two relatively low-scoring games to start the week, the University of Northwestern Baseball team's offense was due for an explosion. Such was the case Thursday evening at Parade Stadium, when the Eagles exploded for 10 first-inning runs before Augsburg University had taken an at-bat. UNW's bats stayed hot for the remainder of the game, and a solid outing from
Kason Pietruszewski (Warroad, Minn./Warroad) on the mound led to an 18-5 win in seven innings, with the 10-run rule invoked.
After three consecutive hit-by-pitches loaded the bases to start the game,
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) launched a grand slam to left field, his second-consecutive game with a home run. Three walks again loaded the bases for Northwestern with one out, and
Jeremiah Holmes (West Covina, Calif./San Dimas) made the score 5-0 with an RBI single to right field.
Christian Raya (Moline, Ill./Moline) scampered home on a wild pitch two batters later, before
Jack Burns (Plainfield, Ill./Aurora Christian) hit a two-run single to increase the margin to 8-0.
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) followed with a single in his second plate appearance of the frame, and Greco delivered his fifth RBI of the inning with an RBI single to center field. A
Parker Huebsch (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) RBI single up the middle brought Hixon home and made it 10-0 after a half inning.
Despite his ETA at the pitchers' mound being heavily delayed, Pietruszewski was still able to shake off a leadoff single and hold the Auggies scoreless in the bottom of the first inning. The hosts were able to get on the board in the fourth inning with four runs, although just one was earned after an error led off the inning. The Eagles answered right back in the top of the fifth, rallying from having nobody on base with two outs, to
Caleb Hautajarvi (Barnum, Minn./Barnum Secondary) driving home a pair of runs on a bases-loaded single to extend the lead to 12-4.
After a clean fifth from Pietruszewski, UNW got back to work at the plate. With two outs and one on base,
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East) was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and the 19th time this season, breaking the single-season program record set in 2024 by
Mark Bligh (Sydney, Australia/Magdalene Catholic College) (we in the Northwestern Sports Information office are still trying to determine whether we should be celebrating such a painful record. Hixon and Greco would also be hit by pitches for the second time apiece, in consecutive order, with the bases loaded to give the Eagles a 14-4 lead and officially put the run rule on the table. After a pitching change, Huebsch delivered a two-run single to make it 16-4.
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth for Pietruszewski, the freshman's offense provided even more insurance. A
Jaden Martinez (Los Angeles, Calif./South Hills) single loaded the bases, and Raya again scored on a wild pitch. The final run of the game would come from
Derek Lee (Williston, N.D./Williston Trinity Christian), who scored on a fielding error by the Augsburg shortstop to make it 18-4, Northwestern. The Auggies would scratch across one run in the bottom of the seventh, but
Charlie Jones (West St. Paul, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) slammed the door shut with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the 18-5 win.
Despite the 18 runs, UNW only recorded 11 hits in the game, as the Eagles also drew nine walks and were hit by eight pitches. Greco was the headliner with a 2-2 night that included a grand slam (the only extra-base hit of the game for Northwestern) and six RBI. Huebsch added a pair of hits and three RBI, while Holmes was the third Eagle with a pair of hits, and drove in one. Burns and Hautajarvi each had two RBI, and
Logan Karnowski (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) and Hixon each drove in one run. Pietruszewski moved to 3-1 on the season after giving up just one earned run and four hits in six innings, while striking out four.
UNW will continue its week of five MIAC games in five days with a doubleheader at Bethel on Friday, beginning at 1:00 PM.
