Northwestern tops Knights

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Northwestern dodged raindrops and a one-hour rain delay to score four runs in the top of the fifth inning, erasing a 2-1 Martin Luther lead en route to a 6-4 win over the Knights Saturday afternoon at Johnson Park in UMAC baseball.

Steve Fritz got credit for the win for Northwestern, striking out four and walking three. He allowed two runs.

Jake Briney started and took the loss for the Knights, giving up five runs in 4 1-3 innings of work.

Corey Helte, Neil Johnson and Kyle Barton each collected two hits for the Eagles with Holte slamming a lead-off home run in the fifth. Barton drove in two runs for Northwestern.

"Under these conditions, it was tough," commented Knights coach Drew Buck about the game that was played mostly in a light rain before being halted with two out in the top of the fifth inning. "We allowed four runs (in the top of that inning) with our first burst of rain -- the ball was a little slippery and the pitchers could not do what they needed to do. So they had to rely more on their straight pitches and they (Northwestern) got a couple of good hits."

Northwestern got to the right-handed Briney for one run in the first inning when Corey Holte led off with a infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Kyle Barton then plated Holte with a two-out single to center.

Martin Luther knotted the game in the bottom of the inning without the aid of a hit. In fact, the first two Knight runs of the game were without the benefit of a hit.

Aaron Dolan walked and scampered to second on a Jon Bauer ground out. After Steve Fritz retired Don Frey on a come-back line drive, Mike Kuschel reached when first baseman Larry Doty could not handle a throw from catcher Matt Rippentrop on a Kuschel slow roller just in front of the plate. The throw sailed into right field and permitted Dolan to tie the game.

In the second inning for MLC, Noah Bater led off by reaching on a walk. He went to second on a one-out Steve Goelzer ground out and scored on a throwing error by Rippentrop for a 2-1 lead.

"We put the ball in play in those situations," said Buck. "We did not get a lot of hits in the game (four), but we put the ball in play and made them make the plays.

"We would get people on and were trying to do to much. It is early in the season for us -- this is only our fifth game -- and there is no doubt in my mind that we will hit better as the season goes on. We hit well yesterday. I am not concerned yet about the hitting."

The Eagles used Holte's home run over the fence in right field to tie the game at 2 before Neil Johnson followed Holte's roundtripper with a single to left. He scampered to second courtesy of a throwing error by Briney on a pickoff attempt and went to third on a wild pitch.

Barton's base hit to center brought in Johnson for a 3-2 lead. Zack Gahm followed with an infield hit before two errors allowed two more runs to score.

MLC scratched back with two runs in the sixth inning, again without the benefit on a hit when Kuschel and Phil Hockmuth walked, and Andy Mueller was plunked by a Fritz pitch to load the bases with none out.

But the Knights could only muster a run when Phil Herring coaxed a one-out free pass.

Northwestern added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on Nate Jansen's RBI single to center

"The runs that we did score were because of miscues on their part," Buck said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to do something with the bats when we did get people on base.

"I was happy that we did not give up today. We were out of sync. We were not playing well but we still fought back."

The second game of the doubleheader was called in the first inning due to rain.

NORTHWESTERN 100 040 010--6 10 2

MARTIN LUTHER 110 002 000--4 4 3

W--Fritz. L--Briney. 2B--MLC, Kuschel, Goelzer. HR--Northwestern, Holte.