Baseball Splits Pair Of Extra Inning Games At Ashland
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
|
Ashland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final (10) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Northwood | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 5 |
|
Ashland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
ASHLAND, OHIO – The Northwood University baseball team split a pair of extra-inning games Sunday afternoon (March 22) at Ashland. AU picked up a 4-2 win in eight innings before NU won game two 6-5 in 10 innings.
For the weekend, the two teams split four games. The Timberwolves are now 8-10 overall, 2-2 in the GLIAC. Ashland is 13-7 overall, 2-2 in the GLIAC.
In game one, the Eagles plated a run in the first and the third inning to open up the early lead. NU fought back to tie the game in the fifth inning. Justin Zyvon (Sterling Heights, Mich./Macomb CC) and Nate Boschma (Hudsonville, Mich.) had back-to-back doubles to put the Timberwolves on the board. Boschma later scored on a Nick Barrientos sac fly, leveling the game 2-2. The score remained that way until the eighth inning, when the Eagles hit a walk-off two-run homer to earn the win.
For the game, Ashland finished with a 9-7 advantage in hits. NU did not allow the Eagles to draw a walk in the game while Northwood walked twice. The Timberwolves left eight runners on base compared to five for Ashland.
Wayne Moak (Marysville, Mich.) was the lone Timberwolf to get two hits in the game. Luke Bivens (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview) took the loss on the mound despite pitching well. He went the distance, allowing four runs while striking out four.
The final game of the weekend proved to be a marathon, taking nearly four hours. Northwood opened up a 4-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Travis Smith (Clare, Mich.) had a solo home run in the third, while Grant Bridgewater (Bay City, Mich./Western) two run double. AU scored two in the third and one in the sixth to tie the game. Both teams had a chance to end the contest in the seventh but stranded a pair of runners. Northwood scored a run in the ninth on a bases loaded walk by Zyvon, but did not score another run in the inning despite having the bases loaded with nobody out. Ashland responded to the deficit. NU bounced right back, taking the lead back in the 10th thanks to Dustin Lee (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) scoring on a wild pitch. Ashland got runners to second and third in the bottom of the 10th, but Shawn Larner (Gladwin, Mich./Alma College) closed the game out to earn the win for Northwood.
The Timberwolves finished with a 13-11 advantage in hits and also drew three more walks in the game (7-4). Northwood overcame six errors in the win. The two teams combined to leave 30 runners on base for the game (Ashland – 16, Northwood 14).
Smith, Lee, Daniel Pulver (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.), Moak and Bridgewater all finished with two hits in the game for Northwood. Bridgewater led the team with two RBIs.
Northwood's pitchers did a solid job in the game, allowing two earned runs in 10 innings of work. Larry Wood (Essexville, Mich./Garber) picked up the win in relief, allowing one earned run in 4 1/3 innings of work. Larner closed out the game for his first save of the season.
Northwood will host their home opener Tuesday afternoon (March 24). NU will take on Rochester in a single nine inning game beginning at 3 p.m.