JOPLIN, Mo. – The Northwestern College baseball team (1-1) split the doubleheader with the Clarke University Pride (2-3) on opening day of the 2022 season, as milestones and career-highs paved the way in the 10-7 Game One victory.
In the Game 1 victory, head coach Brian Wede tallied his 400th career victory leading the Red Raider baseball program. “There are so many people to thank. I might have played a small role in a few of the wins, but the players won all the games,” said Wede. “I’ve been incredibly blessed by my players and assistant coaches. A big thanks to Nikki and my kids, too.”
Junior Noa Vogel (Jr., Castle Pines, Colo./Lutheran) took it upon himself to ensure Coach Wede got his 400th career win today, setting new career-highs in RBIs (6) and home runs (2), including a grand slam in the third inning. He also had a double in the offensive explosion.
GAME 1: Northwestern 10, Clarke 7
The Raiders did not waste any time in getting Coach Wede his 400th career victory this season, getting the one win he needed right off the bat to begin the season.
Clarke would strike first in the second with four runs, started with a solo home run. Stringing together more hits in the inning lead to a 4-0 Pride lead after two full innings of play.
Though bent, the Raiders would not break! The next half inning in the top of the third, the Raider bats picked up their started Dylan Kirkeby (So., Brandon, S.D./Brandon Valley) scoring five runs of their own to take a 5-4 lead.
Jaden Snyder (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) began the inning with a double, followed by an Evan Olesen (So., Estherville, Iowa/Estherville Lincoln Central) double that scored Snyder. Thanks to a hit-by-pitch and a single, the stage was set for junior outfielder Vogel who would clear the bases with one swing of the bat to give the Raiders their 5-4 advantage and all the momentum.
In the fifth inning, Vogel would add another RBI to his game one total with an RBI double scoring Kip Cullinan (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale). Later that inning, Mason Porepp (So., Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk) grounded out but it was enough to bring home a run. A Sam Stanford (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Pacifica Christian) single in the sixth would plate Snyder, pushing the Raider lead up to 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Clarke pushed across a couple runs thanks to timely hits, but the Raiders got out of the inning leading 8-7.
The Vogel show would continue in the seventh inning, as his second big fly of the day would give Northwestern a much-needed insurance run. A Michael Zeigler (Jr., San Antonio, Texas/Antonian College Prep) sacrifice fly would plated the final Raider run of the day, and the Raiders would keep the Pride off the board in the bottom half of the inning to prevail 10-7.
“Vogel was swinging a hot bat, that was really fun to watch,” said Wede. “I’m really proud of how the guys responded to being down 4-0. To come back and get that lead was great and hopefully shows some resiliency for this team.”
Senior Ben Zeutenhorst (Granville, Iowa/MOC-Floyd Valley) picked up the win on the mound in relief, after the Raiders explosive five-run third inning. Jacob Thurm (So., Humboldt, Iowa/Humboldt) recorded the final out of the game in the seventh with a strikeout, picking up his first-career collegiate save.
GAME 2: Clarke 9, Northwestern 0
Clarke’s Devan Quesada scattered five hits and recorded seven strike outs and it was enough to silence the Raider bats that were hot in game one.
Clarke scattered three runs through the first four innings of play, as two of those runs would cross the plate unearned on an error. Timely hits in the sixth inning took it from a 4-0 game to the final 9-0 score.
Cullinan recorded two of the Raiders five hits, going 2-for-3 on the day.
Freshman Drew Dysktra (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) tossed a quality collegiate debut, going 5.0 innings allowing just five hits and four runs (two earned), while striking out six Pride batters. Not enough offensive juice left proved to be the difference in the back half of the doubleheader.
Up Next: Northwestern will play another doubleheader with the Clarke Pride tomorrow in Joplin, Mo. First pitch of game one is set for 11:00 a.m. at Joe Becker Stadium.
