Baseball Takes Two Over The Storm; Finishes Off Weekend Sweep Over Lake Erie

OVERVIEW – LAKE ERIE COLLEGE

GAME 1

SCORE: Northwood 4, Lake Erie 3

RECORDS: Northwood 22-7 (9-2 GLIAC), Lake Erie 8-20 (2-13 GLIAC)

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium, Northwood University

RECAP: Northwood and Lake Erie battled to a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh when Ryan McClelland won it for the Timberwolves with a walk-off RBI single.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• After a quiet first two innings, the Northwood offense came alive in the third. After Connor Foley got things going with a two-out double, David Vinsky drove him home with an RBI single. After another base knock from Ryan McClelland, Daniel Pulver did the honors of driving home another run with a single to make it 2-0.
• The theme of two-out hitting continued in the fourth inning for Northwood. Javier Martinez got things started with a triple, and pinch-hitter Richie O'Neill drove in the third run of the day for the Timberwolves, putting Northwood up 3-0.
• Northwood starter Matt Pearsall had an excellent four innings of work, giving up one run on five hits while walking one.
• The top of the fifth changed the complexion of the game. After Pearsall was pulled hitting the first batter, new pitcher Larry Wood allowed a walk and a two-run single to Samuel Browning to make the game 3-2. Wes Birchmeier scored the third Storm run on a sacrifice fly and the game was tied going into the sixth.
• Lennon Gwizdala worked himself into a jam in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and nobody out, but he was able to strike out Nigel Williams to avoid any damage and had a 1-2-3 inning the next frame.
• In the bottom half of the seventh, Foley again started things with a one-out single. After moving to second base on a Vinsky groundout, McClelland had the chance to become the hero for the Timberwolves and took full advantage, cracking a single to right field for the walk-off win.

GAME 1 STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 4/11/1, Lake Erie: 3/7/1
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 6, Lake Erie: 5
• Winning Pitcher: Lennon Gwizdala (2-0) 2 IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K
• Losing Pitcher: Connor Ryan (1-2) 6.2 IP, 11H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 5K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Connor Foley (2-4, 2 R)
• Ryan McClelland (2-4, 1 RBI)
• David Vinsky (2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI)

GAME 1 NOTES

• After scoring 26 combined runs in two games yesterday, Northwood was held to just four, the same number they scored in the first inning of last game.
• Lennon Gwizdala now has allowed just two runs in 16 innings of work this season.
• Connor Foley has scored a run in eight straight games, including 2 in each of the last three.

GAME 2

SCORE: Northwood 8, Lake Erie 4

RECORDS: Northwood: 23-7 (10-2 GLIAC), Lake Erie: 8-21 (2-14 GLIAC)

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium, Northwood University

RECAP: Shawn Larner and Matt Stojkov come up big for the NU bullpen, Northwood makes most of opportunities in four-game series sweep of Storm.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• For the first time in the series other than the top of the first in game one yesterday, Lake Erie took a lead. Rees Rua knocked a base hit up the middle with the bases loaded to make it 2-0. Northwood starter Logan Meadors limited the damage, however, pitching out of a jam with runners at second and third with a strikeout and flyout. Lake Erie led 2-0 after one.
• The Storm also played long ball for the first time in the series between the teams, with Nathan Erzen hitting a solo home run out to left field in the top of the second to make it 3-0 Storm.
• The Timberwolves struck back with a big inning in the third. NU scored five times to take a 5-3 lead, with Connor Foley again getting things started cracking an RBI triple to right. Two more runs would score for Northwood before Richie O'Neill delivered the big blow with a 2-run double to plate the fourth and fifth runs, pushing Northwood on top, 5-3.
• The Timberwolves offense quickly struck again in the fourth thanks to the middle of the order. Vinsky flared a sacrifice fly to right field, McClelland doubled to right field, and Pulver tripled to right-center to strengthen Northwood's lead to five, 8-3.
• In the fifth inning, the Storm tried to start their comeback run with a Corbin Paxton RBI single making it 8-4, but pitcher Matt Stojkov was able to limit the damage and get a strikeout with two men on base. From then on, the bullpen duo of Stojkov and Shawn Larner propelled the Timberwolves to the weekend sweep over Lake Erie.
• Stojkov earned the win, while Larner pitched tremendous in relief to earn the unconventional four inning save by tossing the last four innings scoreless and striking out one in his longest outing of the season.

GAME 2 STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 8/6/0 Lake Erie 4/11/1
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 6 Lake Erie: 8
• Winning Pitcher: Matt Stojkov (2-0), 1.2 IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 2BB, 3K
• Losing Pitcher: Ryan Middendorf (1-1), 3.1 IP, 5H, 8R, 6ER, 2BB 2K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Connor Foley (2-5, 2 R, 1 RBI)
• Daniel Pulver (1-2, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB)
• Richie O'Neill (1-2, 2RBI, 2BB)

GAME 2 NOTES

• Northwood is currently on a seven-game win streak, the longest this season. They had two four-game streaks before this run.
• After taking three of four games in each of the last two GLIAC series against Tiffin and Hillsdale, Northwood earned its first four-game series sweep against the Storm.
• Northwood is tied atop the GLIAC standings with Wayne State at 10-2 in the conference.
• Northwood's big weekend of 38 runs put them at #1 overall in the GLIAC in terms of total runs scored with 234.

COACH JORDAN BISCHEL

"Matt Stojkov and Shawn Larner were the story today. Both guys have not had as many opportunities this year but they continue to prepare and be great teammates. It was fun watching them compete today."

UP NEXT

The Timberwolves will travel to Saginaw Valley State University for a doubleheader Wednesday against the Cardinals (April 12). Game time for game one is set for 2 p.m.