Noa Vogel hit a first inning grand slam and Evan Olesen pitched 4.2 solid innings in leading Northwestern to a 9-6 game two win against Kansas Wesleyan. The first game went to the host Coyotes, 12-6; the doubleheader was played at Dean Evans Stadium in Salina, Kan.

Northwestern is now 3-5 on the season; Kansas Wesleyan moves to 8-5. 

Game One: 12-6 loss

Northwestern fell behind 8-0 after two innings in its 12-6, game one loss. Kansas Wesleyan scored three runs on two hits and an error in the first inning, chasing Red Raider starter Alec Rickabaugh (0-2) after 1/3 inning. Dalton Whitaker belted a three-run home run after Spencer Keane and Austin Cross reached base via a walk and single. 

The Coyotes plated five more runs in the second, fueled by a three-run home run from Trey Lopez and RBI double by Keane. 

With just one hit after four innings, the Red Raider offense got going in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and an error to cut the lead in half, 8-4. Jaden Synder led off with a double and came around to score on a ball hit by Olesen. Vogel then came up and hit a two-out, three-run home run, scoring Olesen and Sutton Derr. 

Kansas Wesleyan pushed three runs across in the bottom of the fifth and added one more in the sixth to take a 12-4 lead. Northwestern plated two runs in the seventh after an Olesen single, a double by Kip Cullinan and Coyotes' error.

Cullinan led Head Coach Brian Wede's squad at the plate, going 2/4 with a run scored and RBI. Vogel went 1/4 with three RBI and Derr, Olesen, Snyder, Grant Christy and Drew Schutt all had one hit each.

Jake Olofson earned the win for KWU, giving up five hits and four runs in 6 innings pitched. He struck out eight. Five different Coyotes players had two hits each, led by Whitaker, who drove in four runs.

Game Two: 9-6 win

Vogel hit a one-out grand slam in the Red Raiders four-run, first inning of their 9-6 game two win. Derr and Olesen led off the game with back-to-back singles and a walk to Cullinan loaded the bases. Following a strikout, Vogel drove a 3-2 pitch over the fence off Rodney Bond (L) to put his team up 4-0. 

Kansas Wesleyan came back with a three spot in the bottom of the first off home runs by Austin Cross and Jeffrey Cochran. Jaden Snyder led off the second inning with a solo home run, giving the Red Raiders a 5-3 lead. Kansas Wesleyan answered with a run in the bottom of the second but Northwestern put the game away with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth for a 9-4 lead.

The Red Raiders totaled 12 hits and continued to use the long ball to fuel their offense, hitting four more home runs. Vogel (3/4, 3 runs, 4 RBIs), Derr (2/4, run) and Josh Fakkema (2/2, HR, 2 RBI) were the leaders at the plate.

Olesen (2-0) earned his second win in as many starts, giving up eight hits, five runs in 4.2 innings. Brady Nicolet allowed one run in 1.1 innings and Ryan Reynolds pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn his second save.

Kansas Wesleyan totaled nine hits, led by Cross (2/4, 2 runs) and Brant Howell (2/4, run).