YANKTON, S.D. – The Northwestern College baseball team (8-10, 0-2 GPAC) opened Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) play on the road at Mount Marty University (16-5, 2-0 GPAC), but dropped both games of the doubleheader (2-1, 8-4). Kip Cullinan blasted two home runs, going 3-for-5 at the plate in Game 2.
GAME 1: Mount Marty 2, Northwestern 1
Northwestern dropped a 2-1 pitcher’s duel in the first game of the twin bill to kick off GPAC play this season with the lone difference being a 2-run home run for Mound Marty in the second. All three runs of the seven-inning contest were scored in the first two frames.
The Raiders got on the board first with an RBI ground out from Evan Olesen (So., Estherville, Iowa/Estherville Lincoln Central) that scored Drew Dykstra (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale), following Dykstra’s triple, to take the 1-0 lead in the top half of the first.
Brett Shelton (So., Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) threw all six innings for the Raiders, allowing just three hits and the two runs on the big fly. He struck out seven Lancers and only walked one in the outing. He now holds a 2-2 record on the season.
GAME 2: Mount Marty 8, Northwestern 4
Northwestern struck first in Game 2 thanks to a Mason Porepp (So., Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk) RBI single in the second, scoring Eli Rash (So., Lake Lotawana, Mo./Summit Christian Academy). The Raiders would strike again in the third as a Sam Stanford (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Pacifica Christian) RBI single brought home Dykstra as the Raiders would take the 2-0 lead early.
The Lancers would bring home two runs of their own in the bottom half of the third to knot things up at 2-2, thanks to a solo home run and an RBI double later in the frame.
Both offenses would go quiet until the seventh inning, as both starters settled into a groove. Northwestern would take a 3-2 lead thanks to a Cullinan (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) solo homer, his fifth big fly of the season.
Mount Marty would plate five runs in their half of the seventh to take a 7-3 advantage. They would take another run on in the eighth.
Cullinan would homer again in the ninth – his sixth of the campaign – to cut into the Lancer lead, but Mount Marty would complete the sweep with an 8-4 Game 2 win.
Brady Roberts (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) took the mound in the second game, throwing six full innings. He allowed five hits and four runs, while striking out five Lancer hitters. Four Raiders combined for the final two innings of play.
Up Next: Northwestern is set to play host to the Hastings College Broncos (4-12, 0-0 GPAC) to open the home GPAC slate in a doubleheader Saturday, March 19 from the Baseball Diamond in Orange City. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
