Baseball Closes Out Regular Season With Sweep Over Findlay On Senior Day

OVERVIEW – University of Findlay

GAME 1

SCORE: Northwood 8, Findlay 4

RECORDS: Northwood 38-11 (25-6 GLIAC), Findlay 18-27 (8-24 GLIAC)

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium, Midland, Mich

RECAP: Northwood's offense provides steady scoring as the Timberwolves defeat Findlay 8-4 to take the first three games of the series.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Findlay opened the scoring after stringing together three consecutive hits in the top of the first, concluding with an RBI double by Peter Yorgen to make it 1-0 Oilers.
• The Timberwolves responded in the home half of the first with three runs of their own to take the lead. Richie O'Neil led off with a single, Connor Foley then doubled to put two aboard for David Vinsky. Vinsky hit a ground ball that was booted, allowing O'Neil to score. The inning continued with Daniel Pulver being hit by a pitch, to load the bases, followed by a sacrifice fly by Javier Martinez to score Foley. With two still aboard, Brooks Ullery got in on the action with a sharply hit ball to right field for an RBI double to score Vinsky and put Northwood up 3-1.
• The Timberwolves extended their lead to three in the bottom of the second as Travis Janes reached on an error to begin the inning and eventually scored on a Connor Foley RBI single making it 4-1 Northwood.
• In the bottom of the fourth, the Timberwolves clawed a few more runs across with an RBI double Javier Martinez to deep left field that scored Daniel Pulver and the took advantage of a costly error by Findlay to score one more making the score 6-1 Timberwolves.
• Findlay did not quit as they came back right away with two in the top half of the fifth on a 2RBI double by Casey Gould to cut the lead down to three at 6-3.
• Again, just as Northwood had all game long, they responded to pull ahead and stretch to the lead immediately in the home half of the fifth by striking for two more runs. Richie O'Neil walked with the bases empty and two outs followed by an RBI triple by Connor Foley to the left-centerfield gap. With Foley on third, Vinsky stepped to the plate and hit an infield single to score Foley making it 8-3.
• Findlay scored one run in the top of the sixth to pull within four at 8-4, but that is as close as the Oilers would get as the Northwood bullpen closed the door to preserve the win in the seven inning contest.  

GAME 1 STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 8/11/0 Findlay 4/10/3
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 7 Findlay: 6
• Winning Pitcher: Matt Pearsall (4-2) 5 IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 2K
• Losing Pitcher: Colin Gossard (2-6) 4.2 IP, 11H, 8R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Connor Foley (3-4, 3B, 2RBI, 2R)
• Brooks Ullery (2-3, RBI)
• David Vinsky (2-4, RBI)

GAME 1 NOTES

• Northwood has now won four games in a row and are 13-2 at home this season.
• Northwood is 10-2 against teams from the state of Ohio.
• The Timberwolves have won six of their last seven games against Findlay dating back to last season.

GAME 2

SCORE: Northwood 5, Findlay 0

RECORDS: 39-11 (26-6 GLIAC Findlay 18-28 (8-24 GLIAC)

LOCATION: Gerace Stadiuim, Northwood University  

RECAP: Pulver's two home run day and eighth inning grand slam lift the Timberwolves

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Findlay again jumped on top right away with a crooked number in the top of the first as the Oilers sent seven men to the plate in the inning and scored two runs to take 2-0 lead.
• The Timberwolves cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first as Richie O'Neil led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a Daniel Pulver RBI single but Northwood would settle for just the one run resulting in a 2-1 lead for Findlay after one inning.
• The Oilers extended their lead in the top of the fifth as the Timberwolves were their own worst enemy allowing three free passes and a wild pitch that allowed Findlay to score two runs. However, Matt Stojkov did a nice job in relief to limit the damage as Findlay settled for just two runs making the score 4-1 Oilers.
• Northwood came right back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-2 with one swing of the bat as Daniel Pulver launched a solo shot over the right field fence. Findlay still led, 4-2 after five innings.
• After neither team could get anything going offensively through the next two innings, the score remained 4-2 in favor of the Oilers heading to the bottom of the eighth.
• As they have all season, Northwood dug deep late in the game to formulate late inning magic for a dramatic come-back in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and the bases empty, Robert Spencer drew a two out walk. The next batter, Richie O'Neil was hit by a pitch followed by another walk drawn by Connor Foley to load the bases. David Vinsky was up in a big spot but did not get anything to hit and again, NU was patient at the plate and drew the walk to score a run and make the score 4-3.
• With the bases loaded, down by one run, and two outs, Daniel Pulver stepped to the plate and belted a grand slam sending the crowd at Gerace Stadium into a frenzy, clearing the bases, and putting the Timberwolves on top 7-4.
• Lennon Gwizdala came in to pitch the ninth and slam the door shut for his fifth save of the season giving the Timberwolves the win and the four game sweep over Findlay.

GAME 2 STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors Northwood: 7/6/2 Findlay 4/10/0
• Runners Left on Base: Northwood: 10 Findlay: 12
• Winning Pitcher: Larry Wood  (2-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1K, 0 BB
• Losing Pitcher: A.J. Cecil (5-4) 2IP, 1H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 1K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Daniel Pulver (3-3, 2HR, 6RBI)

GAME 2 NOTES

• With the win, Northwood finishes the regular season with a school record 39 wins and 26 GLIAC wins.
• Northwood is 16-0 in 9-inning GLIAC games.
• Northwood completed a come from behind win after trailing by more than two runs – Northwood has 14 come-from behind wins this season.
• Northwood finishes the regular season 14-2 at home.
• Daniel Pulver's last regular season game at Gerace Stadium is one for the ages – 3-3 with two home runs including the game-winning grand slam.

COACH JORDAN BISCHEL

"With 12 seniors, it was a great feeling to win two games on Senior Day. Seeing guys like Danny Pulver and Larry Wood step up in big spots in their final home game was thrilling to see."   

UP NEXT

• The Timberwolves will be the number one seed in the GLIAC tournament and will play against Hillsdale on Thursday (May 11^th). Game time is yet to be announced.