Northwestern and Briar Cliff split on Thursday afternoon (6-5, 3-2). The split guarantees that Northwestern will share the GPAC Regular season championship. With one win versus Dordt on Saturday or a Briar Cliff loss versus Morningside, Northwestern will be the outright champions.
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Northwestern out-hit the Chargers 11-9 in game one and scored five runs in the first four innings en route to a 6-5 victory. The win gave Northwestern a three game lead in the conference standings with three games left. A Red Raider win or Charger loss following game one would clinch the title for Northwestern as the sole champions of the GPAC.
Northwestern starter Joe Grady pitched six strong innings, giving up eight hits and four runs, only one of which was earned, picking up his fifth victory of the season and his fourth GPAC victory. Grady pitched around three Northwestern errors in the fourth allowing only three runs and keeping Northwestern in the lead at 5-4. The Raiders tacked on another run in the seventh and Mihai Burlea recorded his first save of the season, pitching the seventh inning, allowing a run and striking out one.
Codie Zeutenhorst hit a two run home-run in the top of the first, moving him into a tie for second all-time at Northwestern with 22. He is tied with Koury Kramer. Zeutenhorst's home-run was his fourth of the season, all four coming in conference games. Jake Jansen went 3-4 with a double and scored twice. Joe Heitritter and Mike Zoellner each had two hits while Austin Malone, Kent Drickey, and Matt Gray all added base hits.
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The Red Raiders dropped a nail-biter to the Chargers 3-2 in game two of Thursday's doubleheader on a two-out two-run walk-off double by Chris Davis in the bottom of the seventh to keep Briar Cliff's GPAC Championship hopes alive. Down three games to Northwestern with three to play Briar Cliff needed to win game two and then sweep Morningside on Saturday and hope that Northwestern drops two games to Dordt to share the league title with Northwestern.
Junior lefty Trevor Kuiper started on the mound for Northwestern and pitched 6.2 strong innings in the loss. Kuiper allowed six hits, three runs, walked three, and struck out five falling to 5-2 overall and 4-2 in GPAC games. Kuiper retired the first two Charger batters before giving up a two-out single, throwing a wild pitch, walking nine hitter Matt Lee, and giving up the double to Chris Davis. Trent Schneider picked up the win for Briar Cliff in relief throwing a perfect seventh.
Northwestern out-hit Briar Cliff 8-6 and had hits by Austin Malone, Joe Heitritter, Mike Zoellner, and Clint Gingerich. Justin Boersma and Scott Mineart each had two hits. Mineart scored once and had an RBI while Zoellner had an RBI and Heitritter scored.
Northwestern faces Dordt on Saturday in Orange City, Iowa at 1:00 p.m. in the final regular season home game. The Raiders need one win two claim the GPAC title to themselves while Dordt is fighting for a spot in the GPAC tournament.
2008 Media Guide
