A
3
Northland College NC 1-2
4
Winner Bethany College BET 2-7
Northland College NC
1-2
3
Final
4
Bethany College BET
2-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Northland College NC 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 2
Bethany College BET 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 X 4 7 1

W: Trey Mantle (1-0) L: Birko, Andrew (1-1) S: JT Hubert (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Jacks score three in the first but fall to the Bison

Northland can’t find tying run in the ninth

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – After leading by three in the first the Northland College Baseball team lost 4-3 to Bethany College in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational Wednesday morning in Auburndale, Fla.
 
The Jacks filled the bases in the first inning after drawing three walks. Peyton Solberg scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. In the same at-bat, Tyler Murphy hit a two-out single to center field to score two more runs.
 
Andrew Birko made his first start of the season on the mound. To start the game Birko pitched a one-two-three inning. After giving up a lead-off single in the second, Birko still only saw three batters with Matt Simpson throwing out Derek Black trying to steal second.
 
In the fourth inning, the Bison started to threaten. Nick Roell started the inning with a bunt single but was thrown out by Simpson trying to advance to second. With runners on the corners, Bethany attempted a double steal and scored its first run. Birko got out of the inning after striking out the following batter.
 
Bethany cut the lead to one in the sixth after Payton Zupko scored on a wild pitch. The Bison had the bases load down one with no outs. A walk with the bases load tied the game and then Vinny Troccoli entered the game the get out of the jam. BC took the lead with a sac fly but Troccoli got out of the inning with the score 4-3 for BC.
 
Only down one, the LumberJacks started the ninth innings with a walk from Solberg and a single from Murphy. Caden Willis reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners but Northland was down to its last out. Bryce Smith entered the game pinch hit and was hit by a pitch to fill the bases. Hunter Wicklund had the chance to tie the game but he flew out the left field the end the game 4-3.
 
Despite scoring three runs in the first Northland only had one hit until the ninth inning. The two Northland hits came from Murphy. The Jacks did reach base nine other times, by four walks, four hit-by pitches, and one error.
 
Birko started the game on the mound for NC and pitched five innings. He struck out two batters and gave up four earned runners. Troccoli entered the game in the sixth inning a pitched a career-high three innings. He did not give up an earned run and stuck out four batters. After the first inning, Trey Mantle entered the game for the Bison and pitched a scoreless eight innings, striking out eight batters to earn the win.
 
The Jacks conclude the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday morning when they play Drew University at 8:15 a.m.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, Midwest Lacrosse Conference, and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.