VERONA, Wis. – The Edgewood College baseball team has shown the ability to win very different types of games this year, and Wednesday night might have been the best example yet. The small ball Eagles, belted out 21 hits including six for extra bases, in a 13-4 opening win over Wisconsin Lutheran College, and then pulled out a sloppy back and forth affair 9-7 in the nightcap, in a game that featured 11 errors. The two wins give the Eagles sole possession of third place in the NACC with six league games remaining.

Edgewood College (13-19, 8-6 NACC) tallied runs in every inning but the first in the opening game against the Warriors. The Eagles took the lead in the third inning when Zack Creekmore hit a one-out triple and scored on Alex Jaskulski's double. Two batters later Jaskulski scored on an RBI double by Ryan O'Dell. Creekmore and Andrew Lauritzen has RBI singles in the fourth and Brad Clark drove in a run with a hit in the fifth. The Eagles continued to pour it on scoring eight runs in their final three turns at the plate.

In a game where every Eagle was hitting, O'Dell still managed to stand out. O'Dell had hits in his first five at-bats, including two doubles, and finished 5-for-6 with three runs batted in for the game. It was the second five-hit game of his career, with the first coming as a freshman in 2011. Creekmore was nearly as good, going 4-for-6 with a triple and a double. Jaskulski and Marc Ostrowski each had three hits and a double apiece. Lauritzen and Nate Averill had two hits apiece.

On the mound Taylor Hillmann had all the run support he needed to pick up his third victory of the season. Hillmann pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs on nine hits. AJ Verhage entered in the eighth inning and held Wisconsin Lutheran College (15-13, 6-8 NACC) scoreless in the final two innings.

The second contest was a wild a game as Stampfl Field has seen in some time. Both teams struggled to field and throw at various points in the game. The Eagles got on the board in the third inning on Zack Creekmore's harmless bases loaded comebacker to the mound. The Warriors attempted to turn a home-to-first double play, but catcher Jake Klemme's throw skipped past the first baseman, allowing two runs to score and Creekmore to reach third base. After Sean Thompson walked, an errant pickoff throw to first allowed Creekmore to trot home untouched for a 3-1 lead.

It was still 3-2 Edgewood College in the fifth when the Eagles defense started a snowball fight of their own. After a routine groundout, the next four Warriors all reached base via Edgewood College errors. When the dust settled Wisconsin Lutheran had three runs on one hit, thanks to five Eagle errors in the inning. However, the Eagles responded with two runs in their half of the fifth on a Creekmore RBI double and a Warrior throwing error to tie the game at 5-5.

The Warriors took a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh, but after the stretch the Eagles really started to get to Wisconsin Lutheran starting pitcher Alex Raver. Jaskulski singled home Creekmore, who had hit his third double of the game and O'Dell scored Jaskulski with an RBI single for a 7-6 Eagles lead. The Warriors tied the game again in the eighth on an RBI single by Sam Mattheis, but the Eagles had one more answer.

With runners on first and third an no one out, Danny Appino laid down a perfect bunt single to score Clark from third base. The next batter, Lauritzen, attempted to bunt the runners over and was successful only when his popped up bunt sailed over the head of Warrior third baseman Brandon Mantz for an unconventional single. With bases now loaded, Nate Averill scored an insurance run on a wild pitch for a 9-7 lead.

Lauritzen and Creekmore each went 3-for-5 with Creekmore setting a new career high with three doubles. Jaskulski, Averill and Sean Thompson each had a pair of hits in the game. Eagle starter Andy Swanson pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out his third win of the season and second complete game. Swanson allowed only three earned runs and struck out four batters. Edgewood College has now won seven home games in a row, one short of the school record of eight, set in 2010.

Edgewood College sits in third place heading into four NACC games this weekend. The Eagles will travel to Concordia University Wisconsin on Saturday, and then host Lakeland College on Sunday. Sunday will be "Strike Out Cancer Day" at Stampfl Field to raise money for the Breast Cancer Recovery foundation.