MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team (8-21, 5-9 UMAC) split a doubleheader against Northwestern (21-15, 8-6 UMAC) Thursday. Minnesota Morris won the opener, 9-6, before Northwestern won the finale, 10-6.
In the opener, Nash Kramer went 3-for-4, while Blaise Fairbanks went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Game One Recap (9-6 – Minnesota Morris)
The Cougar offense wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as the Cougars tallied five runs in the bottom of the first. For the Cougars in the first, Brady Jergenson singled to right field to bring home Mack O'Neil for the first run of the game. UMN Morris then added another run on a fielder's choice as Fairbanks crossed home plate to make it 2-0.
Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Cooper Grashorn stepped up and delivered a bases clearing double to left field to put the Cougars in front, 5-0.
The Cougars then added another run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Nick Peterson, which scored O'Neil. Trailing 6-0, Northwestern got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the top of third.
With a 6-2 lead, the Cougars tacked on a run in the bottom of the fifth on a Tyler Carper ground out.
Northwestern then scored in the sixth and eighth to bring the game within one at 7-6 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Holding a one-run lead in the home half of the eighth, Fairbanks singled to left field to score Brian Vanyo and then later in the inning, Peterson singled to right field to score Fairbanks.
Thomas Eckstein took over on the mound for the Cougars in the top of the ninth and retired the side to secure the save and the victory for the Cougars.
Joe Wehr picked up the victory for the Cougars as he struck out nine over eight innings of work.
Game Two Recap (10-6 – Northwestern)
After a scoreless opening inning of play, the Northwestern offense rattled off five runs in the top of the second to take a 5-0 lead.
The Cougars cut into the Northwestern lead on a two-run double from Jergenson in the third inning.
Northwestern then added a run in the fifth and sixth to extend its lead to 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Rowland singled to left field to score Jergenson and then later in the inning, Alex Baumann singled to score Grashorn and Levi Jahnke.
The Cougars brought the game within one in the bottom of the seventh as Julien Shadle hit a sac fly to center field to score Fairbanks.
With the score in favor of Northwestern at 7-6 after seven innings, the Eagles scored twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to tally the 10-6 win.
Minnesota Morris continues its homestand on Saturday, May 4, against Wisconsin-Superior. The two teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m.
