Baseball Defeats GLIAC-Leading Ashland 9-5

OVERVIEW – ASHLAND

SCORES: Northwood Timberwolves 9, #21 Ashland Eagles 5

RECORDS: Northwood 28-14/Ashland 32-8, 12-5 GLIAC

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood pick up 9-5 win over #21 Ashland to start key series Friday afternoon (April 26).

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Ashland started fast, earning four straight hits to begin the game. The Eagles eventually scored three runs in the first for the early advantage.
• Northwood responded right away in the bottom of the first, starting with an RBI single by Nick Palmer.
• After an error made the score 3-2, Trevor Polewka singled to level the score 3-3 after one inning.
• The Timberwolves' offense kept rolling in the second, putting up three more runs. Cole Brooks gave Northwood its first lead of the day on an RBI groundout.
• Palmer extended the NU lead with a solo home run to right, which was followed by an RBI single by Polewka that put Northwood on top 6-3.
• Ashland got one back in the third and fourth innings to make it a one-run game at 6-5.
• Both pitching staffs gained control at that point, as the score remained 6-5 until the bottom of the eighth inning. That is when the Timberwolves put up three insurance runs, starting with a Collin McClelland two-run triple to right field.
• Palmer rounded out the scoring by plating McClelland on a single.

GAME STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 9/13/3, Ashland: 5/11/3
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 9, Ashland: 11
• Winning Pitcher – Jake Gross (7-2): 5 IP, 10 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Ryan Curtis (1-1): 2 IP, 8 H, 6 R (5 ER), BB, 3 K
• Save – Lennon Gwizdala (7): 2 IP, H, 3 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Palmer: 3-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBIs
• Polewka: 2-5, 2 RBI
• Ziegler: 2-5, R
• McClelland: 2-5, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBIs
• David Vinsky: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 R
• Peter Joseph: 2 IP, 0 H, BB, K

UP NEXT

• Northwood and Ashland will play a doubleheader Saturday afternoon (April 27). First pitch is set for 1 p.m.