AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Northwestern College baseball team (3-7, 0-0 GPAC) began their spring break trip down in Florida with hot bats, defeating the Titans of the University of Indiana at South Bend (6-9, 0-0 CCAC) in dominating fashion, 16-3.
In a season-high 16 runs, eight different Raiders notched hits and eight notched at least one RBI. It’s the most runs scored by Northwestern since March 4, 2021 when the Raiders defeated Northwestern (Minn.) 17-4 down in Parkville, Mo. The Raiders took advantage of nine walks and four hit-by-pitches, to roll past the Titans.
Northwestern opened the contest loading the bases in the top half of the first with just one out but were unable to push across a run early, but the Raiders would not be deterred. They would find themselves with the bases loaded in three of the first four innings.
For the second straight inning, the Raiders would load the bases and this time they would make good on the opportunity. Northwestern would use an explosive fifth inning, capitalizing on Titan defensive miscues, to take a 5-0 lead – using three hits, including two doubles. It started with an RBI double from Jaden Snyder (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon), scoring Colby Shelton (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) after he reached via single.
Free base opportunities allowed the bases to become full, as Drew Dykstra (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) was hit by pitch and Evan Olesen (So., Estherville, Iowa/Estherville Lincoln Central) walked. Kip Cullinan (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) would not miss his golden opportunity, driving in all three runs, making it 4-0 Raiders. The scoring would wrap up thanks to an RBI single from Eli Rash (So., Lake Lotawana, Mo./Summit Christian Academy), scoring Cullinan.
The Titans would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second to cut the Raider lead to 5-2, but Northwestern would tack on two more runs in the third to push the lead back up to five (7-2). Noa Vogel (Jr., Castle Pines, Colo./Lutheran) put the pressure on the South Bend defense immediately in the third after getting plunked to start the inning. He would steal both second and third, before scoring the sixth Raider run on a wild pitch. As if by Déjà vu, Snyder reached would single, steal second and advance to third on another wild pitch. He would be driven in by Dykstra. In the third inning, the Raiders tallied four stolen bases on IUSB.
Northwestern would erupt for eight more runs in the fourth inning behind four Titan walks, a hit-by-pitch, and back-to-back singles; as IUSB would utilize two pitching changes in the inning. After the frame, Northwestern took a 15-2 lead into the fifth inning. Northwestern would tack on one more run in the fifth, leading 16-2.
Cullinan’s 3 RBI double marked three of his team-high five RBIs on the game, himself driving in more runs than the Titans could push across the plate. He ended the game going 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Sam Stanford (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Pacifica Christian) and Rash were the only Raiders to pick up multiple hits on the game, with two each. Dykstra would plate three of the Raiders 16 runs.
Dylan Kirkeby (So., Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) would throw 5.0 solid innings, scattering just four hits and allowing just three Titan runs. He picks up his first win of the 2022 campaign. Brady Nicolet (Jr., Grimes, Iowa/Dallas Center-Grimes) would relieve Kirkeby in the sixth, pitching a three up, three down inning on just seven pitches. Colton Korver (Fr., Alton, Iowa/MOC-Floyd Valley) would come into the game in the seventh to close out the run-rule victory for the Raiders. He shut the door on the Titans, striking out all three hitters he faced on 12 pitches. The Raider pitching staff combined to strike out 1o IUSB hitters.
Up Next: Northwestern will next take the field on Thursday, March 10 when the Raiders will battle the Warriors of Indiana Tech in Lakeland, Fla. on the campus of Southeastern University with first pitch scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (CT).
