FRANKLIN, Wis. – The Edgewood College baseball team bundled up for a frigid NACC opening doubleheader against MSOE. The Eagles were frozen out of game one, losing 5-4, but put the Raiders on ice with 4-2 victory in the second game. Nick Lehner provided the go-ahead run in game two with his first career home run, one of his five hits on the day.
MSOE (3-14, 1-1 NACC) scored two runs in the second inning of the first inning, but the Eagles responded in the top of the third inning. Danny Appino singled and advanced to second on an error. From there Zack Creekmore drove him home with an RBI single, and then scored on Jacob Yellovich's double to center field. The Eagles tacked on another run in the fourth and Yellovich drove home another run in the fifth for a 4-2 Eagles lead.
However, the Raiders' Tyler Parise tied the game with a two-run single in the fifth and took a 5-4 lead in the sixth when Brandon McCumber scored on a wild pitch. Edgewood College (4-8, 1-1 NACC) put runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth inning, but couldn't plate the tying run.
Lehner went 4-for-4 with a double in the game, setting a new career-high for hits. Creekmore was also perfect, going 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Appino had two hits and two runs scored. Starting pitcher Nate Averill went six innings and allowed just three earned runs. Reliever Elijah Roche finished out the final two innings without giving up a run.
In the second game, Edgewood College held a 2-0 lead on a Creekmore RBI groundout in the third and an RBI single off the bat of Andrew Lauritzen in the fourth. MSOE tied the game with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning, setting the stage for Lehner's heroics.
The sophomore from Muskego greeted new MSOE pitcher Ryan Newman with a solo home run to right field on the second pitch he saw to put the Eagles ahead 3-2. Brodie Engel doubled and scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run in the ninth inning. The Raiders put runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Eagle closer AJ Verhage induced a ground out from Casey Magyar for his first save of the season.
Starting pitcher Erick Wendt had another strong outing, giving up just two unearned runs and striking out three batters in 6.1 innings pitched. Steve Gavin closed out the seventh inning to earn his first career win, before Verhage finished the game. Lauritzen was the only Eagle with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases.
Edgewood College will face Rockford University in what was supposed to be the Eagles home opener on Sunday. However, wet conditions at Stampfl Field has moved the game to Prucha Field on the campus of UW-Whitewater. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
