ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Northland College Baseball team was defeated in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference series opener to the University of Northwestern 7-4 Friday evening in St. Paul, Minn.
 
The Eagles scored first with three runs in the opening frame. Anthony Boyle got out of the inning with a bases-loaded strikeout. Boyle would pitch a scoreless second inning with two more strikeouts.
 
Ridge Guyette got the first hit for the Jacks in the fourth. Nathan Davison reached base after getting hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. A double play and a strikeout would end the scoring chance for Northland.
 
In the fifth, Caden Willis led off with a solo home run to put Northland on the board. Tyler Murphy and Dezmon LeTexier each reached base after getting hit. Guyette doubled to score both runners to level the game at three. The scoring continued as Davison singled to center field, giving the LumberJacks their first lead. Andy Linder came into pitch for the bottom half of the inning and faced the minimum number of batters.
 
The Eagles would regain their lead in the sixth after a two-out grand slam. Northwestern would lead 7-4 after the sixth.
 
In the ninth, Northland trailed by three but went down in order, dropping the series opener 4-7.
 
Northland totaled five hits with Guyette leading the team with two, a single and double. Davison, Willis, and Jonjay Arreazola each recorded a knock, with Willis having the only other extra base hit with a home run in the fifth.
 
On the mound, Boyle pitched four innings with four strikeouts and did not give up an earned run. Linder pitched 1.2 innings and gave up four earned runs in the loss. Vinny Cooney and Grant Vessey threw the final two and a third innings and did not give up an earned run or a hit.
 
The LumberJacks and Eagles have a doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday), with the first game scheduled for 1 p.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 and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.