Baseball Splits Doubleheader Versus Lake Erie

The Northwood University baseball team split a pair of games versus Lake Erie Saturday afternoon (March 22). The Storm won game one 15-6 before the Timberwolves rallied for a 9-8 win in game two in nine innings.

Northwood is now 8-8 overall, 1-2 in the GLIAC. Lake Erie stands at 10-8 overall, 4-1 in the GLIAC.

Game one saw Northwood get off to a good start, plating a pair of runs in the first inning. Lake Erie put together a big response, scoring seven runs in the top of the second to open up a five-run lead. But the Timberwolves chipped away at the lead, scoring one in the second and three in the third to make the score 7-6.  It was all Lake Erie the rest of the way though, as LEC scored at least one run in each of the final four innings to put the game away. Travis Smith (Clare, Mich.) went 3-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Tyler Beatty (Clare, Mich./Davenport) had two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.

It appeared Lake Erie was well on its way to a sweep of the series, earning an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning. But as they have done frequently early on this season, Northwood rallied back in the final chance. NU put together seven hits and a walk in the inning, good for six runs to tie the game. Northwood eventually tied the game on a Beatty two-run single. The score remained 8-8 until the ninth, when NU scored the game-winner on a Larsen Cronkright (Midland, Mich./Kellogg CC) sac fly that scored Andrew Fleming (Olivet, Mich./Kellogg CC). Justin Zyvon (Sterling Heights, Mich./Macomb CC) had two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs, while Antony DiPaolo (Northville, Mich./Divine Child) added two hits and two runs scored. Fleming and Cronkright each had two hits. Beatty reached base four times (one hit, three walks) while driving in two runs. Sean Cunningham (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Northern.) earned his first win of the season by recording the final two outs of the ninth.

Northwood will take on Grand Valley State for a single game at Davenport University Monday afternoon (March 24). First pitch is set for 3 p.m.