Baseball Opens GLIAC Play With Doubleheader Split At Ashland

ASHLAND, OHIO – The Northwood University baseball team opened GLIAC play with a doubleheader split against Ashland Saturday afternoon (March 21). Ashland picked up a 9-4 win in game one before Northwood earned a 12-6 victory in game two.

The Timberwolves are now 7-9 overall, 1-1 in the GLIAC. Ashland stands at 12-6 overall, 1-1 in the GLIAC.

In game one, Ashland got off to a fast start, plating three runs in the first inning. Northwood got back into the game over the next few innings thanks to the efforts of senior catcher Zyke Bailey (Taylor, Mich./HS Truman). He hit solo home runs in the second and the fourth inning to make the score 3-2. The Eagles responded with a big fourth inning, scoring four runs to go back up 7-2. Northwood scored a pair in the sixth on an error and a walk with the bases loaded by Dustin Lee (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.).  Ashland scored a pair in the sixth to close out the win.

Ashland finished with 11 hits in the game, while Northwood had nine. The Timberwolves left 11 runners on base in the game.

Bailey led Northwood with two hits, two home runs and two RBIs in the game. Justin Zyvon (Sterling Heights, Mich./Macomb CC) and Nick Barrientos (Zionsville, Ind./Danville Area CC) each had a pair of hits for the Timberwolves.

It was Northwood who got off to a fast start in the nightcap. After a Barrientos put NU up 1-0 in the second on an RBI double, the Timberwolves broke the game open in the third inning with four runs. Wayne Moak (Marysville, Mich.) had a two run double which was followed by RBIs by Grant Bridgewater (Bay City, Mich./Western) and Barrientos to put Northwood up 5-0.

Northwood continued to put the pressure on Ashland as the game went along, scoring one in the fourth, one in the fifth, four in the sixth and one in the eighth.  Tanner McCarn (Olivet, Mich./Kellogg CC) came through for Northwood big in that stretch, coming up with an RBI double in the fourth and a two-run single in the sixth. Lee rounded out the scoring for Northwood with a double in the eighth.

The Timberwolves had a steady stream of base runners in game two, finishing with 13 hits and 12 walks. Ashland had a similar number of hits (11) but only drew two walks.

Lee finished game two 4-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. McCarn went 2-4 with three RBIs, while Moak had two doubles and two RBIs. Logan Meadors (Oxnard, Calif./Midland U.) picked up his second win of the season, allowing four runs in 6 2/3 innings of work

The two teams will play another doubleheader Sunday (March 22). First pitch is set for 1 p.m.