WATERTOWN, Wis. – The Northland College Baseball team sweeps Maranatha Baptist University in the doubleheader 7-0 and 7-3 Tuesday evening in Watertown, Wis., in nonconference play. Junior
Kazdion Mount threw a complete game shutout, striking out 10 batters in the win.
The Jacks improve to 4-14 overall and the Sabercats fall to 0-21.
Mount got the start for game one on the mound. In his first inning of work, he saw three batters, striking out two of them.
Zach Ross led off the second inning with a single to right field. Then after a pair of two-out singles, Ross crossed the plate to give Northland the lead.
The Sabercats loaded the bases in the third inning. Mount got out of the jam with his fifth strikeout of the game.
The Jacks added another run in the fifth from an RBI double from
Tyler Murphy. Northland busted the game open in the seven.
Parker Williams started the inning with a lead-off double.
Peyton Solberg drove Williams home with a single. Murphy had a bases-clearing triple to increase the lead to five. RBIs from Ross and
Kurt Price ended the scoring with Northland on top 7-0.
The LumberJacks recorded 13 hits in the opening game with six student-athletes totaling multiple knocks. Murphy had two extra-base hits with a triple and a double, Northland's first triple of the season.
Vinny Troccoli stole a base in the contest.
Mount pitched a complete game shutout, his first in a Northland uniform. He recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts, walked three batters, and only allowed three hits. Mount earned his first win of the season improving to 1-0.
Northland picked up where they left off in game two.
Nolan Hemmesch scored
Bryce Smith to give the Jacks an early 1-0 lead. The Sabercats responded in the bottom of the first. After a lead-off walk, MBU hit a two-run home run to lead its first lead of the day.
Smith started the third with a double to left center.
Parker Williams reached base after getting hit by a pitch. The two base runners advanced to scoring position after a wild pitch and Troccoli scored both on a single up the left side.
Caden Willis doubled the lead with a double to left field.
Luke Maxwell and
Jay Harris capped off the five-run inning both bringing in a run.
Maranatha cut the lead to three off a lead-off home run but Northland held them to three for the remainder of the game. NC scored its final run of the game in the sixth inning with a single from Troccoli for his third RBI of the game.
Northland tallied seven hits in game two with Smith, Troccoli, and Willis leading the way with two.
Dezmon LeTexier had the other hit. Both of Smith's hits went for extra bases, both doubles. The Jacks snagged a season-high five stolen bases with Troccoli stealing three, and Hemmesch and Smith having one.
Andy Linder earned the win on the mound after tossing five innings. The sophomore had five strikeouts, walked one batter, and gave up three earned runs.
Peyton Solberg pitched the final two innings, only allowing one hit and struck out three batters.
The Jacks return to Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play this weekend when they host the University of Northwestern for their home opener on Friday. The series starts at 3 p.m., on Friday.
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.
