Baseball
It was a windy weekend that felt like fall, yet the Northwestern baseball team blossomed, going 3-1 in the four games they played.
On April 8, the Red Raiders took on the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers in a GPAC doubleheader.
In game one, NW shut out the Tigers 3-0 after senior pitcher Fernando Gutierrez pitched a complete game shutout giving up three hits and three walks while striking out two. His electric performance was able to earn him GPAC pitcher-of-the-week, his first time earning the award this year.
The at-bats of the Red Raiders helped secure Gutierrez’s second win of the season. Sophomores Grant Lang and Christian Stekl and senior Zack Cortese each had an RBI to contribute on the offensive end.
The second game of the doubleheader went in the opposite direction. The pitching for NW was inconsistent, allowing 14 runs in eight innings. The NW at-bats couldn’t produce much either, only scoring two runs in the span of eight innings. Game two ended with a score of 2-14 and a frustrated Red Raider ball club.
On April 9, NW played a doubleheader against the Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan. The Red Raiders seemed to forget about the lopsided loss in the second game as they trounced the Prairie Wolves 15-5. NW put up big numbers with help from the at-bats of Lang and sophomore Michael Callahan, both of whom homered in the game. Not only did they homer, but they also combined for seven RBIs. Sophomore Raphael DeHoyos pitched a complete game, giving up five runs through seven innings while striking out six.
In game two, the Red Raiders came through again with a narrow victory, beating Nebraska Wesleyan 6-5. Lang pitched in the second game going eight strong innings, getting seven strikeouts while giving up five runs on thirteen hits. Freshman catcher AJ Nitzschke was able to hit his first homerun of his young NW career.
After the great weekend, Grant Lang was named GPAC baseball player-of-the-week for his fantastic performance, his first time getting the honor this season.
Overall, the Red Raiders were able to win three more conference games, putting them at a record of 6-2 in GPAC play, good enough for a tie for first place.
“I think that we are off on the right foot and [this] is the way we wanted to start conference play,” sophomore Mitchell Kresnik said. “Hopefully our past success can put us in an ideal position at the top of the GPAC.”
Softball
The Red Raider softball team had a rocky weekend. With doubleheaders against the Doane Tigers and the College of Saint Mary Flames, NW was looking to pick up four wins to help propel them towards the top of the GPAC. Even though the hope was there, the Red Raiders dropped all four games to their GPAC opponents.
On April 8, the Red Raiders took on Doane in a doubleheader matchup. In game one, NW was plagued by errors, committing 10 in the game. Sophomore Kayla Tindall pitched a great game, going seven innings while only giving up one earned run. Not only was Tindall good on the mound, but she was also great at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a homerun and three RBIs. Junior Monserrat Figueroa did well at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a homerun and an RBI.
Game two was rough for the Red Raiders as well, losing 15-0. Again, NW was plagued with errors as the pitching staff as a whole only gave up five earned runs.
April 9 was a tough one for NW as well, dropping both games to the College of Saint Mary Flames.
In game one, Tindall went to the hill again, going seven innings, giving up five runs and striking out three.
The Red Raiders at-bats came alive after the tough Friday, getting eight hits, two of which were from senior Clare Ipema. While NW was able to put up three runs, it wasn’t enough, and the Red Raiders lost 5-3.
In game two, the Red Raiders played well defensively, only committing one error. Sophomore Dana Hedlund came to the mound and pitched seven innings, giving up 10 hits and eight earned runs while strking out five. Senior Laura Hurley got the at-bats going for the Red Raiders, going 3-for-4 with one run. Again, NW fell short, losing 9-4.
After a tough weekend, NW played the Bellevue Bruins on April 12, splitting the series with them.
The Red Raiders now sit 3-9 in conference play, a record they hope to overcome as the season wears on.
“We have had a rocky start and have played some of the best teams in our conference,” junior Brianna Petrauskas said. “I think we are all dedicated to working harder and harder so that by the end, we will be ready for GPAC.”
NW will take on Midland and Dakota Wesleyan this weekend in an effort to add some wins to their GPAC record.
