The Northwestern College baseball team has captured its first conference championship since 1980 when they won the Tri-State Intercollegiate Conference, which included Yankton College, Dordt College, Westmar College and Northwestern College. The Red Raiders and Dordt split their doubleheader on Saturday, Dordt winning game one 11-1 and Northwestern winning game two 5-3.
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Northwestern gave up eight unearned runs on six errors and fell to 24-14 overall and 17-6 in the GPAC. Mihai Burlea picked up his third loss of the season throwing six innings, allowing eight hits, and striking out four. None of the runs Burlea allowed were earned. The Raider offense managed only six hits and one run; their lowest run total since April 8th. Austin Malone and Caleb Kester each had one hit for Northwestern while Justin Boersma and Mike Zoellner each had two hits. Northwestern loaded the bases in the first and fourth innings with one out but were unable to score any runs. The lone Raider run came in the seventh when Zoellner led off with a double and Kester drove him in with a one-out single.
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Northwestern salvaged a split with Dordt in game two; winning 5-3. Northwestern out-hit Dordt 7-6 and took advantage of two early Dordt errors en route to their 25th win of the season. The victory also sealed the GPAC regular season championship for Northwestern as outright champions. Mike Zoellner improved to 4-1 on the season throwing seven innings, allowing six hits, three runs, three walks, and striking out six. Seven different Red Raiders had hits; one each by Justin Boersma, Clint Gingerich, Austin Malone, Joe Heitritter, Scott Mineart, Kent Drickey, and Caleb Kester. Malone led the team with two RBI. Boersma, Malone, Heitritter, Jeff Lanser, and Blake Kruger each scored runs for the GPAC champions.
UP NEXT
Northwestern will next play in the GPAC Tournament at Harmoden Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. The first game for Northwestern will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday morning and regardless if they win or lose they will play at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The GPAC Tournament is an eight team double elimination tournament. To qualify a team must be in the top eight in the final standings on the regular season. The winner of the GPAC Tournament along with the regular season champion will advance to the NAIA Region III Tournament. The Region III Tournament is a six team double-elimination tournament and will be hosted by the Dakota Athletic Conference regular season champion, which hasn't been announced yet. The GPAC will send three teams the the Region III Tournament (regular season champ, tournament champ, team with best record GPAC games only), the Dakota Athletic Conference will send two teams (regular season champ, tournament champ), and there will be one at-large bid between the GPAC and DAC that will go to the team ranked highest in the Region III rankings that has not yet earned a birth.
2008 Media Guide
