ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern College baseball team (2-4, 0-0 GPAC) hosted the Dakota State Trojans (3-1, 0-0 NSAA) for the earliest home opener since 2000, but it was the Trojans who left Orange City with the doubleheader sweep, 13-0 and 2-1 (F/9).
Game 1: Dakota State 13, Northwestern 0
Game one went the way of Dakota State as every time the bat contacted the baseball, the baseball had eyes finding the holes as the Trojans tallied 17 hits in the 13-0 game one win.
The Raiders tallied five hits in the first game, as Sam Stanford (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Pacifica Christian) notched two of them. Kip Cullinan (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) had a hit and a walk in the contest, followed by hits from Eli Rash (So., Lake Lotawana, Mo./Summit Christian Academy) and Mason Porepp (So., Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk). Northwestern was unable to punch across any runs in the first contest.
Game 2: Dakota State 2, Northwestern 1 (F/9)
The second game proved to be a pitcher’s duel between Brett Shelton (So., Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Dakota State’s Australian-born Grant Svikulis. The two would battle through the first five innings, as the Raiders would punch across one run in the third inning.
After a scoreless first two innings, Northwestern got things cooking in the third as Jaden Snyder (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) started the inning with a seeing-eye single through the left side. Though a double play would seemingly kill the momentum, things would heat up yet again as Stanford singled to center, followed by a Cullinan single setting up a 1st and 3rd situation with two outs. Noa Vogel (Jr., Castle Pines, Colo./Lutheran) would drive in what would end up being the lone Raider run with a double roped down the right field line, giving the Raiders the 1-0 lead.
Quiet until the fifth inning when the Trojans would capitalize on a situation given to them. A leadoff single followed by two quick ground outs with the runner advancing to second, seemed to set up another quiet inning but an error would keep the inning alive. A Mason Macaluso single would allow the tying run to cross the plate, tying the game at 1-1.
The game would head to extras, as neither team could push across a run in the sixth or seventh innings. The Raiders had an opportunity to pick up the win in the eighth as Braden Kalvelage (Fr., Hastings, Neb./Hastings) would enter as a pinch runner for Cullinan, and subsequently stealing second but the Raiders would leave him stranded on second.
A two out rally and timely hits in the ninth proved to be the difference in the ninth inning, as Dakota State was able to push across a run. The Raiders would go down 1-2-3 in the bottom half and fall 2-1.
Shelton pitched brilliantly, keeping Trojan hitters off all game two, allowing just one unearned run and three hits, while striking out seven in his seven innings pitched.
Up Next: Northwestern will make a trip down to Ottawa, Kan. to battle the (RV) Braves of Ottawa University (6-1, 0-0 KCAC) in a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.
