Northwestern Fights Back for 13-Inning Win over Cougar Baseball

April 22, 2023

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team was firing on all cylinders early in the game on Saturday, but the offense stalled out in the late innings and the University of Northwestern was able to rally, force extra innings, and then come away with an 11-8 win in 13 innings. The Cougars drop to 12-14 (7-4 UMAC) with the loss.

Though the game was at Northwestern, Minnesota Morris was the home team on the scoreboard and the Eagles posted an unearned run in the top of the first against starting pitcher Josh Osten. After retiring the side the Cougars got their bats going quickly, scoring on a two-run double from Ethan Schmitz that brought in Alex Baumann and Tyler Scheler.

Minnesota Morris would go on to score in each of the game’s first six innings. A two-out double from Baumann in the second inning was followed by a RBI single from Scheler. In the third, Ashton Pauly singled home Schmitz. The Northwestern defense was shaky in the fourth inning with a pair of errors and the Cougars took advantage and scored twice more. In the fifth, David Steffen connected on a sacrifice fly that brought Keegan Jonas home to give Minnesota Morris its largest lead of the game at 7-1.

The Northwestern comeback began in the top of the sixth with a six-hit inning that chased Osten from the contest and brought the Eagles back within a pair of runs at 7-5. Minnesota Morris still had life in its bats in the bottom of the inning and a lead-off double from Scheler was capitalized on with a two-out double from Jonas to push the Cougar lead to 8-5.

In the top of the seventh, three walks to Northwestern hitters opened the door for a three-run inning from the Eagles to level the game at 8-8.

Both offenses fell mostly silent for the next few innings as the game entered extra innings still knotted up. The deadlock was broken in the top of the 13th inning with a pair of Northwestern singles that put two aboard. A third single was then misplayed in the outfield and two runs came in to score. A fourth successive single scored another run before the side was retired. Though the Cougars were able to put one runner on in the bottom half, the game ended on a double play.

Ryan Wilhelm and Baumann allowed no runs in relief. Parker Gilchrist (1-4) went 2.0 innings but took the loss for the Cougars. Steffen, Scheler, Schmitz, and Jonas all had three hits in the game.

Minnesota Morris and Northwestern wrap up their three-game series with a doubleheader in St. Paul tomorrow starting at 2 p.m.

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Team Statistics

Pitching
W: B. Hixon (2-2)
L: Gilchrist, Parker (1-4)

Northwestern

Batting
2B: Garcia Jr. 3
RBI: B. Crabb 2; L. Karnowski 1; A. Severson 3; Garcia Jr. 1; C. Hamilton 1; B. Hixon 2
SH: A. Severson 1
BASERUNNING:
RUNS: B. Crabb 1; Garcia Jr. 1; B. Spores 1; I. Pilon 1; B. Rabey 2; C. Hamilton 3; B. Hixon 2
SB: A. Severson 1
HBP: B. Crabb 1