April 26, 2006

Box Score Game 1 vs UW-Superior
Play-by-Play Game 1 vs UW-Superior

Box Score Game 2 vs UW-Superior
Play-by-Play Game 2 vs UW-Superior

The LumberJacks won a pair of games today on the road, defeating UW-Superior 8-0 and 6-2 to improve their record to 15-15-1 heading into this weekend's conference action.  The Jacks host Martin Luther College on Friday (3 pm) and Saturday (12 pm).  Northland currently resides in fifth place, two games behind Presentation College with 6 games to go in the conference regular season, with the last three against Presentation.

In the first game, the accolades go to pitcher Justin Kirby, who scattered 6 hits in throwing his second shutout of the season.  The Jacks backed him up with runs, scoring in five of the seven innings.  Kyle Rogers knocked in Travis Wederstrandt in the first inning and a Chris Panabaker double in the second inning plated Cody Carroll.  An error in the third inning allowed Wederstrandt to score again and the Jacks were up 3-0.  Myles Buuck got a two-run single in the fourth inning to make it 5-0, and the Jacks added three in the seventh for the final margin.  In the last inning, Corey Boe had an RBI single and Winston Bothner had a two-run single.  The Jacks only managed seven hits, but bunched them together and took advantage of two UWS errors and four walks.

In the second game, the Jacks staked winning pitcher Joey Norton to a one run lead to start the game.  Ryan Riley had a two-out RBI single to score Jason Jarrell who had walked.  UWS responded with their only runs of the afternoon in the bottom of the first on a run-scoring triple and and then a passed ball.  Northland tied the game in the second when Chris Panabaker singled, stole second, and scored on Myles Buuck's RBI single.  The game remained knotted at 2 until the fifth inning.

Facing a new pitcher, the Jacks scored four in the top of the fifth.  Brandon Frechette led off the inning with a walk and Buuck got on via an error while Frechette advanced to third.  Travis Wederstrandt singled in the first run and Kyle Rogers hit a sacrifice fly to score the second.  Riley then doubled home a run with two outs and Corey Boe followed with a single for the final run.  Meanwhile, Norton, coming off a no-hitter, threw bullets for the Jacks, allowing no hits after the first inning and allowing only two base runners over the last six innings, one of which was erased on a double play.  For the game Norton allowed only two hits and two runs in the complete game victory.