Sioux City, Iowa — The Northwestern College baseball team dropped a pair of one-run games to Briar Cliff on Saturday, March 20 in Sioux City.
Game One: 8-7 (8 innings)
Down 5-2, Northwestern plated three runs in the top of the seventh to force extra innings. Josh Fakkema began the rally with a solo home run. Following a walk to Jaden Snyder, Eli Rash smashed a two-run home run with two strikes to tie the game 5-5. The Raiders scored two in the top of the eighth for their first lead of the game. Michael Zeigler hit a go-ahead single, scoring Sam Stanford; Snyder added a sacrifice fly
Briar Cliff scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth, all with two outs, for the win. Connor Lange hit a walk-off, three-run double
By the Numbers:
Fakkema paced the Raider offense with three hits; Rash drove in three runs and Noa Vogel added one hit and scored two
Dylan Kirkeby (ND) 5 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs, 6 Ks
Ryan Reynolds (L: 0-1), 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 Ks
BCU totaled 11 hits, led by Jake Allen (3/3), Connor Lange (2/4, 3 RBI)
Jacob Wesselmann (ND) 6.1 IP, 4 hits, 11 Ks
Tyler Kjose (W: 1-0) 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 unearned runs
Game Two: 9-8 (7 innings)
A six-run, second inning put Briar Cliff in front 6-0; Jake Federico hit a three-run double. Northwestern pushed three runs across in the third, cutting the deficit to 6-3. Kip Cullinan and Sutton Derr both hit doubles in the inning. Colton Harold smashed a three-run home run to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Following a Chargers run in the bottom of the fifth, Northwestern plated two in the sixth for an 8-7 advantage. Jaden Snyder hit a solo home run; Rash, Cullinan and Harold followed with singles to take the lead
Briar Cliff went ahead for good in their half of the sixth on a two-run home run from Cyler Melvin with two outs
By the Numbers
Northwestern outhit BCU 11-8, led by Cullinan (3/3, 2 runs), Rash (2/2, 3 runs), Harold (2/4, 5 RBI)
Mitchell Diekevers (L: 0-1) 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs, 1 K
Ben Zeutenhorst (ND) 3.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs
Austin Carter (W: 1-0), 1.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 Ks
Federico, Melvin and Jacob Sitzmann all with two hits
