Baseball Defeats #21 Ashland 16-3

OVERVIEW – #21 ASHLAND

SCORE: Northwood Timberwolves 16, Ashland Eagles 3

RECORDS: Northwood 29-16, 14-10 GLIAC/Ashland 34-9, 14-6 GLIAC

LOCATION: Gerace Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Baseball storms back from early deficit to earn 16-3 win over No. 21 Ashland Sunday afternoon (April 28).

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Ashland opened the scoring for the fourth consecutive game in the third. A single, two wild pitches, and a walk put runners on first and third with one out. After a strikeout on an attempted stolen base, a rundown between first and second allowed the runner from third to score and give Ashland a 1-0 lead.
• AU added to their lead in the fourth. After a single into center field, a one-out double to right-center field played another run to make it 2-0 Ashland. With two outs and a runner at third, an RBI single to left gave the visitors a three-run lead going into the bottom of the fourth.
• Northwood cut into the deficit in the fifth. Brooks Ullery walked and advanced to third on a pick-off throwing error. Nick Palmer came through with a two-out double down the left-field line, and David Vinsky brought him home with a line drive single to right to cut the lead down to 3-2 heading into the sixth.
• Northwood drew even in the sixth. Palmer reached on an error, Trevor Polewka was hit by a pitch and Keaton Sackett walked to load the bases with one out. Travis Janes walked in a run to tie the game at three, and Ullery cleared the bases with a three-run double into the right-center field gap to vault the Timberwolves into a 6-3 game.
• Later in the sixth, Vinsky dropped a double into the right-center field gap to extend the edge to four runs. Palmer capped the inning with a two-run double down the left field line, giving NU a seven-run inning and a 9-3 lead after six.
• The Timberwolves tacked on in the seventh. Polewka doubled to lead off the frame, and Keaton Sackett singled him home with a line drive to center and made it 10-3 NU. Sackett moved to third on a throwing error and Ullery plated him with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead. Cole Brooks added an RBI single to put Northwood up by nine heading into the eighth.
• NU added a few more insurance runs in the eighth. Ziegler walked to lead off the inning, and Polewka doubled down the left-field line to push the Timberwolves' lead into double digits. Polewka scored on a passed ball, Vinsky walked in a run, Miles Hardy earned an RBI on a hit-by-pitch to put the game further out of reach in a blowout victory.    

GAME STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 16/13/0, Ashland: 3/8/3
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 9, Ashland: 8
• Winning Pitcher – Lennon Gwizdala (1-2): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R , 3 K, BB
• Losing Pitcher – Josh Stover (5-2): 5.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 4 K, 3 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Vinsky: 4-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
• Palmer: 2-4, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI,
• Polekwa: 2-4, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI
• Ullery: 1-2, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB

UP NEXT

• Northwood will travel to Grand Valley State Friday (May 3). First pitch is set for 3 p.m.