Northwestern Sweeps Midland 15-13 (8), 10-1

NORTHWESTERN 15     MIDLAND LUTHERAN 13

Northwestern and Midland combined for 28 hits in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.  Northwestern juemped out to a 7-2 lead after four innings and increased it to 10-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.  The Warriors fought back with an eight spot, tying the game on a Matt Huggins grand slam.  Neither team scored in the seventh and Northwestern scored five runs in the eighth behind five hits.  Midland again put up a fight but Grant Wall was able to limit the damage and Northwestern escaped with a 15-13 eight inning victory.  Drew Nonnemacher pitched around a lead off double in the seventh, picking up his second win of the season.

Grant Wall, Joe Heitritter, Kent Drickey, Justin Boersma, Brad Payne, and Matt Gray each had two hits or more and Austin Malone, Wall, Heitritter, Boersma, Drickey, Gray, and Payne each drove in two runs for Northwestern.  Red Raider starter Mihai Burlea pitched into the sixth, allowing seven runs, two earned, walking three and striking out five.  Andrew Engesser finished the sixth and gave up three runs, one hit, walked two and struck out one.  Nonnemacher pitched one inning, gave up two hits, no runs, and collected a strikeout.  Wall finished the game, pitching an inning, walking two, giving up a hit and striking out one Warrior.

NORTHWESTERN 10     MIDLAND LUTHERAN 1

Mike Zoellner gave up four hits and one run over seven innings en route to collecting his third GPAC victory.  Zoellner struck out seven Warriors and walked four.  Offensively, Northwestern banged out 15 hits, two or more by Austin Malone, Jake Jansen, Justin Boersma, and Brad Payne.  Austin Malone led off the game with a solo home run off of Midland starter Mike Burdine.  Ten different Raiders had hits in game two, including three by Payne, who had six on the evening.  

Northwestern moved to 21-9 overall and is 14-2 in the GPAC.  Midland fell to 17-17 overall and 8-8 in the GPAC.  The Red Raiders will face Mt. Marty on Friday in Orange City at 5:00 p.m. and will face Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Orange City.