The Northwestern College baseball team (16-18, 8-10 GPAC) opened the four-game set on Good Friday against the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan University (11-20, 5-13 GPAC), splitting the doubleheader at the Baseball Diamond.
Brett Shelton tossed his sixth complete game of the season and Drew Dykstra belted his second home run of the year in Game 1.
GAME 1: Northwestern 6, Dakota Wesleyan 4 (F/7)
Pitching Decisions
Win: Brett Shelton (4-4)
Loss: Seth Christiansen (0-1)
Save: N/A
How It Happened
Drew Dykstra (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) belted his second home run of the campaign to right field, driving in three runs to give Northwestern the early 3-0 lead. Evan Olesen (So., Estherville, Iowa/Estherville Lincoln Central) would later single in the inning, driving in the fourth Raider run of the frame, scoring Tanner Schouten (Fr., Orange City, Iowa/Unity Christian).
In the fourth, Jaden Snyder (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) knocked in a run with an RBI double to make it 5-0 Raiders. It marked the fifth double of the season for the lefty second baseman.
A two-out error in the fifth inning allowed the first Tiger runs to score, cutting the Northwestern lead to 5-2.
NWC would get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the fifth thanks to a throwing error by DWU trying to double up the Raiders, extending the lead to 6-2.
Another pair of Dakota Wesleyan runs would cross in the sixth inning thanks to a sacrifice run and an RBI single, but the Raider would hold on to take Game 1 6-4.
Game Notes
Northwestern was outhit in the first game (7-5) but capitalized with hits when it mattered most to drive in runs.
All the Raider hits were collected by different Raiders.
Northwestern walked nine times in Game 1 – Rash, Olesen, and Dykstra all tallying two walks each.
Drew Dykstra hit his second home run of the season to right field for a 3-run shot. Eli Rash extended his on-base streak to double digits in Game 1, extending it to 10 games.
Jaden Snyder tallied a hit (RBI double) making it four-straight games with a hit, and five-straight games of reaching base safely.
Sam Stanford’s 15-game hitting streak came to an end in Game 1.
Tanner Schouten recorded two stolen bases, bring his team-leading total up to 11 on the season (11-for-13).
Brett Shelton had a perfect game through four innings, not allowing the first Tiger hit until the fifth inning.
He tossed his sixth complete game of the season, scattering seven Tiger hits and four runs (two earned). He struck out six of the 28 batters he faced, surrendering no walks.
Shelton is the only Raider to throw a complete game on the year.
GAME 2: Dakota Wesleyan 12, Northwestern 4 (F/7)
Pitching Decisions
Win: Dawson Penticoff (3-4)
Loss: Brady Roberts (2-5)
Save: N/A
How It Happened
Defensive miscues hindered the Raiders in Game 2, as Dakota Wesleyan scored seven runs in the first two innings to take the 7-0 lead after two full innings. It would prove to be too much to overcome for the Red Raiders.
Northwestern would out the first runs on the board in the third inning, thanks to an RBI single from Eli Rash (So., Lake Lotawana, Mo./Summit Christian Academy). Later, a DWU error would plate the second Raider run of the frame, as Northwestern would trail 8-2.
The two teams would trade two runs in the fourth inning. A Jacob Kindhart (Jr., Shawnee, Kan./St. James Academy) RBI double to left center field would score Mason Porepp (So., Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk). Snyder would drive in the other run with an RBI ground out as the Raiders would trail 10-4.
Dakota Wesleyan plated a run in the fifth and in the seventh to make the final score 12-4.
Game Notes
Northwestern posted six hits and four errors in the second game of the twinbill.
Jacob Kindhart was the only Raider to record a multi-hit game on the day, while also picking up one of the two Raider walks. Kindhart more than doubled his doubles on the season with back-to-back doubles in Game 2, he now has three on the season.
Eli Rash pushed his on-base streak up to 11 games, recording a hit and a walk in Game 2.
Mason Porepp and Jaden Snyder each reach base safely for the fourth- and fifth-time, respectively.
Brady Roberts pithced 3.0 innings on the day for Northwestern, falling to 2-5 on the season.
Brad Tornow, Brayden Mackey, and Colton Korver all combined for 4.0 innings pitched in relief.
Korver faced 10 hitters over his 2.2 innings on the day in his sixth appearance of the season.
Up Next: Northwestern will turn around and hit the road tomorrow to complete the four-game home-and-home series with the Tigers tomorrow, Saturday, April 16 in Mitchell, S.D. First pitch in the doubleheader is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Cadwell Park.
