Northwood baseball sweeps Cedar Ridge, leads Big 8

It took two consecutive runs that scored off dropped third strikes, a bench-clearing fracas after a collision at the plate and a final strikeout with the game-tying run 90 feet away, but the Northwood Chargers are on pace for its first conference championship since 2013.

Northwood (12-2, 6-0) held off Cedar Ridge 10-9 on Friday night at Chapel Hill High School to complete a sweep of a doubleheader. The Chargers captured the opener 9-2.

Northwood goes into Easter break on an 11-game winning streak and first place in the Big 8 Conference.

Trailing 10-5 going into the sixth (the game was scheduled for six innings because it was a doubleheader), Cedar Ridge (6-5, 2-4) scored four runs. With the bases loaded, Erik Zehnder knocked in Jake DeFranco on a RBI groundout to narrow the deficit to 10-9. With Brandon Andrews at third and two out, Northwood reliever Trent Bagwell notched a strikeout on three pitches, earning the save and slamming his glove to the ground in jubilation.

Northwood scored five runs in the top of the third, triggered by a single from Trey Romel, who finished 2-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored. Pitcher Patrick Szczypinski, who earned the win, rocked a two-run, bases loaded single to left. Shortstop Logan Crabtree also had a two-run single later in the inning, scoring Szczypinski and Dylan Mazurek. Colton Lineman scored the frame’s final run off a wild pitch.

The Red Wolves came back with four runs in the bottom of the third. First baseman Evan Hall jolted a single to right center, bringing in Nick Cellini (running for catcher Josh Cecil) and Brandon Andrews.

In the fifth, Northwood scored three more runs to extended its lead to 10-5, though it could have easily been less. Centerfielder Max Hundley and catcher Matt Oldham both scored on dropped third strikes with two out.

This story was originally published April 8, 2017 at 12:55 AM with the headline "Northwood baseball sweeps Cedar Ridge, leads Big 8."