ASHLAND, Wis. – Minnesota Morris (9-14, 5-7 UMAC) avoided the sweep to Northland (10-16, 6-4 UMAC) on Sunday, besting the Lumberjacks 13-8 in the final game of the three game series. Jackson Gessell finished the day 4-6 from the plate with five RBI and two homers. He now has five homers on the year, the most by a Cougar since 1998. The two homers in a game tied a school record.
 
Morris took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to an error by the Northland catcher. UMM doubled their lead in the third as Gessell drove in Eric Terres, his second run of the game. Gessell started the scoring in the fifth inning for Morris with a solo shot. Chandler Erickson put the Cougars up 5-0 after a two run single moments later. Gessell had another RBI single, this time in the sixth inning to make it a six run lead for the Cougars.
 
Northland finally got to starter Todd Woelfel in the sixth ending his shutout with an RBI single. Minnesota Morris answered back in the seventh with three runs. Terres had a sac fly to center to score Erickson. Jake Schmitz came to the plate and doubled in Ryan Wynn and Evan Ellingworth, going up 9-1. The Lumberjacks tried to make things interesting in by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Cougars lead to just four.
 
The Cougars offense would make sure to keep their distance from Northland. Willie Fust drove in Donnie Mavencamp with a sac fly to right field in the eighth. Morris essentially put the game away in the ninth inning after Schmitz tripled to drive in Wynn and then Gessell homered for the second time in the game.
 
The Lumberjacks scored three times in the bottom of the ninth but Joey Hyde held on for the two inning save. Woelfel got the win going seven innings, allowing five runs on 13 hits.
 
Tomorrow the Cougars will take on Maranatha Baptist in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.