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St. Paul, Minn. – A pair of homeruns was all it took for Northwestern to steal a 3-2 win from the Minnesota Morris baseball team today (Apr 13), sealing the win with a two-run blast in the eighth.
Holding a 2-1 lead heading into the eighth, Morris (4-18, 4-6 UMAC) starter
Jordan Gegen was cruising, holding Northwestern (14-9, 8-1 UMAC) hitless for the last 10 batters. But after a leadoff single in the eighth was moved to second on a bunt, the Eagles brought the go-ahead run to the plate.
Andy Peterson didn't waste the opportunity, sending one over the left field fence to give the Eagles their first lead at 3-2.
Gegen then led off the ninth, and did his best to help his cause with single through the right side. After moving to second on a single by
Scott Peterson, the rally was halted as the Eagles recorded three straight outs to take the game.
The loss squanders a nice start by Gegen, as he threw a complete game, allowing just eight hits with only one walk, also missing an opportunity for his first win, falling to 0-3. However, it was two homeruns allowed that did the damage as the Eagles also got their first run on a round-tripper in the fifth. Gegen's run of 10 batters without allowing a hit began after the first homerun.
The Cougars took the lead in just the second inning, with
Mike McGill coming home from third when Peterson stole second. The run for McGill was his eighth on the season – fourth best on the team –crossing the plate for the third time in the last three games. He also extends his hit streak to five straight games, with 11 over the span.
After Gegen and the Cougars worked out of a jam in the bottom of the second – getting the second out at home before a bases-loaded ground out to end the inning – they added to their lead with one in the third.
Kyle Grote knocked a leadoff single to left, eventually scoring on an RBI from
Dustin Sauter, his seventh run batted in of the year, moving into second on the team.
Grote finished with two hits on the day to lead the Cougars, who collected six as a team. They missed out a change to give the Eagles their first loss of the month, as Northwestern comes back to win their sixth straight.
The two teams resume the series tomorrow, playing a 12:00 noon doubleheader back in St. Paul. Nearing the midway point of the conference season, the Cougars need to get back in the win column to separate themselves from the trio of teams sitting fourth in the latest conference standings.
