ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Northwestern College baseball team (18-25, 10-16 GPAC) swept the first day of the four-game set against arch-rival Dordt University (12-30, 8-18 GPAC) behind six home runs on the day.
Jaden Snyder and
Drew Dykstra both had multi-home run games in the victories, as the Raiders erupted for 19 hits in the two games.
Brett Shelton and
Brady Roberts dominated on the mound.
GAME 1: Northwestern 11, Dordt 5
Pitching Decisions
Win: Brett Shelton (5-5)
Loss: Gyeongju Kim (5-5)
Save: N/A
How It Happened
Northwestern took advantage of Dordt defensive miscues, as three runs were scored on wild pitches in the series opener. The Raiders notched six extra base hits in the game, totaling half of their hits.
Dordt struck first in Game 1, thanks to three singles in the opening frame, to take the 1-0 lead.
Brett Shelton (So., Clive, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) would settle in and only scatter four hits the rest of the game.
Northwestern responded with two runs in the bottom half of the first, thanks to a solo shot from
Mo Watson (So., Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny) to lead off the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
Sam Stanford (So., Los Angeles, Calif./Pacifica Christian) would rope a triple in to the right centerfield gap, and would later score on a wild pitch to give Northwestern the lead they would never surrender (2-1).
The second inning was more of the same, this time
Jaden Snyder (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) went yard for the first time.
Tanner Schouten (Fr., Orange City, Iowa/Unity Christian) would score on a wild pitch later in the frame.
In the third, Snyder would go deep yet again with a 3-run shot, giving the Raiders a 7-1 lead.
Dordt would chip into the Northwestern lead in the fourth and fifth innings, as three long balls cut the lead to 7-5.
Northwestern would score four unanswered after Dordt's four, to take the game 11-5. A
Mason Porepp (So., Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk) RBI single, and an
Eli Rash (So., Lake Lotawana, Mo./Summit Christian Academy) RBI double aided the effort.
Game Notes
- Northwestern tallies 12 hits in the Game 1 victory.
- Jaden Snyder went yard twice – once to right and once to left – for his fifth and sixth home runs of the year.
- His four RBIs marks the second this time he has notched four RBIs in a game, and the sixth multi-RBI game of the season for the junior.
- Eli Rash improves his on-base streak to 19 games, hit streak to six games, and recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
- Sam Stanford notches his 17th multi-hit game and has now reached base in five straight games.
- For five straight games, Mo Watson has recorded a hit.
- Brett Shelton tossed all seven innings, scattering seven hits, allowing five runs (2 earned) and struck out in his seventh straight start of at least 5.0 innings thrown.
- Shelton notches his seventh complete game of the season for the Raiders.
- Four the fourth straight start, Shelton did not allow a walk. All four outings have been at least 5.0 innings.
GAME 2: Northwestern 5, Dordt 3
Pitching Decisions
Win: Brady Roberts (3-5)
Loss: Logan Horne (2-8)
Save: Colton Schuchart (4)
How It Happened
Game 2 proved to be a little quieter on the scoring front, as both pitchers had quality outings. Again, Northwestern would belt three home runs in the contest as
Drew Dykstra (Fr., Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) went deep twice in the contest.
The first three innings were relatively quiet, but Northwestern got to the Dordt starter in the second thanks to Snyder's third home run of the day, taking the 1-0 and they would again not look back.
Dykstra's first home run, and later, an RBI single from
Evan Olesen (So., Estherville, Iowa/Estherville Lincoln Central) extended the Raider lead to 3-0.
Dordt got on the board in the fifth with a two-run blast from Logan Cline, to draw within one (3-2). Yet again, the Raiders would respond and it would be Dykstra giving Northwestern the two run lead in the bottom half with another solo shot (4-2).
The two teams would trade runs in the sixth, as Olesen notched another RBI single for a huge insurance run with an RBI single to right center. Dordt would get a runner to second in the seventh, but Northwestern would prevail 5-3 to sweep the day.
Game Notes
- Jaden Snyder has recorded a multi-hit game for the fourth straight game.
- His three home runs on the day gives him seven on the season, which now leads the team.
- Dre Dykstra doubles his season HR total, going yard twice in Game 2 as he now has four on the year.
- He notched his third multi-RBI game, while Evan Olesen notches his second.
- Mo Watson's five-game hit streak and on-base streak comes to a close.
- Brady Roberts was stellar in his 5.0 innings, allowing just two Dordt hits and two runs (both unearned), while just walking two hitters.
- Roberts recorded his second highest strike out total in an outing tonight with 10 Ks.
- His two hits surrendered is the lowest since his outing at Concordia back on March 24.
- Colton Shuchart picks up his fourth save of the season, tossing 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing three hits and striking out four.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach, Brian Wede (on the team's performance on the day…):
"It was really good to see how we responded when they scored runs. It felt like we scored runs every time they did and found a way to respond to their momentum. I'm really proud of how the guys competed with everything on the line. We got to be able to bounce back and do it again tomorrow."
Wede (facing the Dordt ace…):
"What we did against Kim in Game 1 is like what no one else has done in the conference this season!
Wede (on the Raider bats…):
"Jaden (Snyder) and Drew (Dykstra) were awesome at the plate tonight. We got hits when we needed them! Olesen had a big hit in the bottom of the sixth (Game 2) for a huge insurance run for us."
Wede (on pitching performance in Game 2…):
"(Brady) Roberts and (Colton) Schuchart were great today, tossing 14 strike outs in seven innings pitched."
STAT OF THE GAME:
23 – The Raider pitching staff struck out 23 Dordt hitters in the 14 innings pitched in the doubleheader.
SCOOTER'S PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Game 1: Jaden Snyder
Game 2: Brady Roberts
Up Next: The Raiders and Defenders conclude their four-game set tomorrow from the Baseball Diamond in Orange City with first pitch slated for 2:00 p.m. Stay tuned to nwcraiders.com should the weather play a role tomorrow.
