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baseball-ottawa-day1-recap-2.17.23
3
Northwestern NWC 0-1
10
Winner Ottawa OTTAWA 5-5
Northwestern NWC
0-1
3
Final
10
Ottawa OTTAWA
5-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwestern NWC 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 7 1
Ottawa OTTAWA 3 0 3 0 2 2 X 10 11 3

W: T. Bryant (2-0) L: Shelton, Brett (0-1)

3
Northwestern NWC 0-2
4
Winner Ottawa OTTAWA 6-5
Northwestern NWC
0-2
3
Final
4
Ottawa OTTAWA
6-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Northwestern NWC 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 5 1
Ottawa OTTAWA 0 0 4 0 0 0 X 4 2 0

W: R. Olchoway (2-1) L: Roberts, Brady (0-1) S: E. Reece ()

Game Recap: Baseball | | NWC Athletic Communications

NWC Drops A Pair of Games to (RV) Ottawa on Opening Day

Isaac Short and Kip Cullinan hit the first Raider home runs of the season

OTTAWA, Kan. – The Northwestern College baseball team (0-2, 0-0 GPAC) opened up the 2023 season with a doubleheader against the (RV) Braves of Ottawa University (6-5, 0-0 KCAC) on sunny day down in Kansas. The Red Raiders would drop both games, despite a comeback attempt in Game 2. 

GAME 1: (RV) Ottawa 10, Northwestern 3
 
Pitching Decisions
Win: Tyler Bryant (2-0)
Loss: Brett Shelton (0-1)
Save: None
 
How It Happened
Ottawa jumped on the board first with three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the early momentum.
 
The Braves would put up three more runs in the home half of the third to take a 6-0 lead. Northwestern would chip away at the deficit with three runs of their own in the fourth inning, cutting the Ottawa lead in half at 6-3. Drew Dykstra (So., Urbandale, Iowa) would drive in the first Raider run of the season with an RBI ground out, followed by a Colby Shelton (So., Urbandale, Iowa) double on a gap shot to left center field, scoring the next two Red Raider runs and collecting his first hit and RBIs of the young season.
 
The following inning, Ottawa hit their seventh home run of the season as Luis DeLeon made it 7-3 Braves. Ottawa would plate two more runs the following inning and would take Game 1 by the score of 10-3.
 
Game Notes
  • Sam Stanford led the team going 3-for-4 on the day, with a double.
  • Kip Cullinan, Drew Dykstra, and Colby Shelton recorded the other NWC hits in the contest.
  • Dykstra and Shelton (2) both notched RBIs.
  • Both Stanford and C. Shelton recorded doubles on the game, the only two extra base hits of the game for the Raiders.
  • Brett Shelton got the nod to open the day on the mound, going 4.2 innings while recording eight strike outs and just two walks.
  • Brady Nicolet made an appearance in relief, finishing the game with his 1.2 innings pitched.
  • Under head coach Brian Wede, the Red Raiders fall to 14-17 on Opening Day
 
GAME 2: (RV) Ottawa 4, Northwestern 3
 
Pitching Decisions
Win: Ryan Olchoway (2-1)
Loss: Brady Roberts (0-1)
Save: Eric Reece (2)
 
How It Happened
Game 2 started as a pitching dual as both teams couldn't break the scoreboard in the first two innings of play. Once again, the Braves cracked the scoreboard first in the third inning with an RBI single to take the 1-0 lead. Later, a Red Raider error would plate two more Ottawa runs as they extended their lead to 3-0. Finally, a designed set on the base paths plated what proved to be the game-winning run for the Braves at 4-0.
 
The bats for both sides would quiet once again for a few more innings, as Northwestern worked to figure out the Ottawa starter.
 
Come the sixth inning, the Raider bats figured out the Ottawa starter and got to him. Making his first-career start at catcher, freshman Isaac Short (Grimes, Iowa) hit his first-career long ball, depositing it over the left field wall and cut into the Braves lead (4-1). As the line-up flipped back to the top, Mo Watson (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) would stretch out a blooper into a hustle double. Kip Cullinan (Sr., Urbandale, Iowa) would cash in on the Watson double, hitting the second Red Raider home run of the inning to center field, cutting it to 4-3 Ottawa.
 
In their final at-bat of the day, Shane Geurink (Jr., Norwalk, Iowa) would leave the Ottawa insurance run on third, giving Northwestern a chance down just one heading to the seventh. Ultimately, the comeback would fall just short. Dykstra would find his way on thanks to a single to right field, but a double play would end the game and the comeback attempt as the Braves took Game 2, 4-3.
 
Game Notes
  • Isaac Short made his first-career start and also notched his first-career collegiate hit, home run, and RBI.
  • Mo Watson went 2-for-3 with one run scored and a double.
  • Kip Cullinan was 1-for-3 with his first home run of the season and two RBI.
  • Of the 25 batters for the Raiders in Game 2, NWC only struck out three times in the game.
  • Brady Roberts got the nod in the second game, going 4.1 innings and allowing just one earned run (four total), while striking out six and walking four.
  • Out of the bullpen, Wede would turn to three different arms – starting with Colton Korver and Jakeb Swallow who both would throw just 1/3 of an inning each.
  • Shane Geurink would come in to finish the game, throwing the final inning for Northwestern.
  • Roberts now just needs 43 innings on the mound to break the program's all-time record in innings pitched and needs just 69 punch outs to break the program's all-time strike out record.
Up Next: Northwestern will wrap up the Opening Weekend series with the Braves tomorrow afternoon with another doubleheader. First pitch of Game 3 of the series is slated for 12:00 p.m.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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