Northwestern College dropped its season opening doubleheader to Central Baptist, 16-9 (game one) and 14-6 (game two). The Red Raiders will play Central Baptist in another doubleheader on Saturday, 11am / 1pm.
Drew Schutt had a big day offensively, going 5-for-8 with two home runs and six RBIs. Schutt, who tied for the GPAC lead with 10 home runs last year, had a home run in each game today.
Sutton Derr totaled four hits, going 2-for-4 in each game, and
Jaden Snyder had two hits, including a home run and two RBIs.
Game One: 16-9 loss
Northwestern fell behind 12-2 after two innings in losing to Central Baptist 16-9 in game one.
The Red Raiders plated two runs in the top of the first after a double by
Kip Cullinan and a two-run home run from Schutt to take their only lead. Central Baptist came back with four runs in the bottom half and eight more in the second inning, including a two-out grand slam by Jay French.
Northwestern responded with two runs in the top of the third on a two-run double by Cullinan and both teams scored a run in the next inning to make the score 13-5 after four. The Red Raiders plated two more runs in the fifth on a double from Schutt and sacrifice fly by Harold to get within six, 13-7.
Central Baptist scored a run in the fifth and really put the game away with two in the sixth.
Rickabaugh (0-1) took the loss, giving up six hits, six runs before exiting the game in the bottom of the second.
Ben Zeutenhorst pitched the middle four innings, giving up eight hits, seven earned runs while striking out three.
Ben Akers gave up two runs in his one inning of work to finish it for Head Coach
Brian Wede's squad.
Both Schutt and Cullinan went 3-for-4 with three runs; Schutt drove in four runs and had two extra-base hits (double, home run). Derr and
Noa Vogel had two hits each.
Central Baptist totaled 17 hits, led by Griffith Olinde (4/5, 4 RBI), Kelvin Volquez (3/5, 3 runs) and Willie Baez (3/4, 4 runs). Will Hodges picked up the win, giving up 10 hits and seven runs in five innings.
Game Two: 14-6 loss
Schutt and Derr once again paced the Red Raiders offense in their 14-6 game two loss against the Mustangs. Schutt went 2-for-4 with another home run and two RBIs; Derr had two hits and scored two runs from the leadoff slot in the order. Snyder belted his first collegiate home run , a two-run shot in the second inning.
Brett Shelton (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven hits and six runs in 1.1 innings.
Shane Geurink,
Nate Rice and
Mitchell Diekevers combined for the final 4.2 innings on the mound.
Northwestern grabbed the early lead, putting three runs across in the top of the first. Derr led off with a triple and scored after a Central Baptist error on a ball hit by
Colton Harold. Schutt then hit a two-run shot on an 0-2 count, scoring Harold, to make the score 3-0.
The Mustangs rallied with six runs in the bottom of the first, keyed by a Kevin Volquez two-run home run and a two-run double by Trynt Tompkins. Snyder's two-run home run in the second made it a one-run game until Central Baptist scored four in the fourth and two more in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
Garon Johnson earned the win for the Mustangs, giving up nine hits and five earned runs, in the full seven innings.
