MANKTAO, Minn. - The finish line is here for the UMAC baseball season. For most teams, Saturday was the final day of conference competition in a four-horse race for the league crown. The University of Northwestern and Bethany Lutheran College were two such teams, separated by just one game in the conference standings after the Vikings defeated the Eagles 10-0 on Friday. UNW flipped the script on the hosts in game one of the day, winning by an 11-5 score to draw even with a rubber match yet to play. BLC provided an explosive offensive performance in a 17-7 win to guarantee itself at least a share of the UMAC regular season title, eliminating Northwestern from contention for it in the process.
Game One
After producing only two hits and no runs in Friday's series opener, UNW's offense got off to a good start in game two of the weekend. Three-straight singles from
Kason Pietruszewski (Warroad, Minn./Warroad),
Braden Storts (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) and
Jack Burns (Plainfield, Ill./Aurora Christian) loaded the bases, and a pair of walks plated the games first two runs. Bethany answered with a pair of runs to reset the game at 2-2 after the first inning, and added two more in the third to take a 4-2 lead. From that point on, it was all Northwestern.
Alex Klein (Olathe, Kans./Olathe Northwest) started the rally with a lead-off double in the top of the fourth inning, and came around to score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Pietruszewski, who continued to help his own cause as the game's starting pitcher. In the sixth, Klein roped another double, and after a
Jeremiah Holmes (West Covina, Calif./San Dimas) single, scored on a failed pick-off attempt at first base. Holmes scored on a balk to swing the lead back to the Eagles at 5-4, and another Burns single made it 6-4. A fielder's choice from Kazel brought Pietruszewski home, and an error on the throw brought Storts around as well, giving UNW an 8-4 advantage.
Northwestern continued to take advantage at the plate in the seventh inning, beginning with a single from
Solomon Kardell (Coon Rapids, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy). He eventually would score on a single from
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East), and another single from Pietruszewski plated Holmes, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Storts delivered a ground-rule double to score Winter and make it 11-4, with the Eagles firmly in control. The Vikings were able to lead off the bottom of the seventh with a home run, but that was the final run that would be scored in the game, as Burns relieved Pietruszewski on the mound and shut Bethany Lutheran out in the final two innings to seal the 11-5 win.
Pietruszewski not only went seven innings on the mound to earn the win, but also led the offensive attack with three hits and two RBI. Klein contributed two doubles, while Storts added two hits, including a double, and drove in one run. Burns also tallied two hits and an RBI, with Winter, Kazel, Greco and Kardell each chipping in one RBI apiece.
Game Two
The beginning of the rubber match looked a lot like Saturday's opener, as both offenses were cooking in the first inning. A hit-by-pitch and singles from Winter and Burns led to a two-run double from
Parker Huebsch (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) to give UNW a 2-0 advantage, and it became 3-0 when
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig) hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Unfortunately for the Eagles, BLC was able to match with three runs of its own in the bottom half, and tacked on three more in the third to open up a 6-3 lead.
The fourth inning was when Bethany effectively put the game to bed. A two-run home run got the party started, and three more runs gave the hosts an 11-3 lead. Northwestern was able to counter with two more runs when Burns hit a two-run double in the fifth, and another in the sixth via a wild pitch with the bases loaded. The Vikings extended the lead to 12-6 with another homer in the bottom of the sixth, but UNW again was able to answer with a home of its own off the bat of Burns. That would be the final run the guests would score; however, as BLC plated five in the bottom of the seventh to end the game via run rule at 17-7.
Burns was terrific in the loss, going 3-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI. Huebsch drove in two runs with his double, and Greco added one RBI. Raya took the loss on the mound, lasting 3.1 innings and striking out three.
Up Next
A late addition to the schedule, the Eagles will play one final regular season game on Monday, May 4th--a non-conference bout with North Central before heading back to Mankato for the UMAC Tournament on Thursday. First pitch at Reynolds Field on Monday is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
