Mount Marty Falls Just Short Against Northwestern, 3-2
March 13, 2025 – Yankton, SD – Mount Marty's late rally came up just short as Northwestern (Iowa) edged out a 3-2 victory in a hard-fought matchup. Despite a strong performance on the mound from Aspen Dahl, defensive miscues proved costly as all three of Northwestern's runs were unearned.
Game Recap:
Northwestern jumped ahead early, capitalizing on a two-out error in the first inning to plate two unearned runs. Ranier Castillo reached on an error to bring in the first run, and Jack Craig followed with an RBI single to give the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead.
Mount Marty responded in the bottom half of the first as Will Gardner drove in Ryan Bachman with a run-scoring single to left. Both teams then settled into a pitching duel, with Aspen Dahl and Northwestern's Drew Dykstra trading zeros for the next five innings.
In the seventh, Luke Wroblewski led off with a single and eventually scored on an RBI hit by Grant Guidry, extending Northwestern's lead to 3-1.
Mount Marty rallied in the bottom of the seventh when Shugo Kondo singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Aidan Chang, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But with the tying run on base, Dykstra induced a game-ending groundout to seal the win for Northwestern.
Key Performances:
- Mount Marty: 2 runs, 7 hits, 3 errors
- Northwestern: 3 runs, 9 hits, 2 errors
- Winning Pitcher: Drew Dykstra (7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
- Losing Pitcher: Aspen Dahl (6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
- Player of the Game: Drew Dykstra (CG, 7 Ks, 100 pitches, 74 strikes)
Turning Point:
Mount Marty's three errors led to all of Northwestern's runs, including two in the first inning that gave the Red Raiders an early lead.
Pitching Breakdown:
- Aspen Dahl was solid on the mound, going 6.2 innings and allowing zero earned runs.
- Dykstra countered with a complete game, striking out seven and keeping the Lancers off balance.
Mount Marty Falls to Northwestern in Game Two, 5-3
March 13, 2025 – Yankton, SD – Despite a strong fourth-inning rally, Mount Marty couldn't hold off Northwestern (Iowa), falling 5-3 in game two of the doubleheader. A three-run sixth inning for the Red Raiders proved to be the difference as the Lancers dropped to 11-6 (0-1 GPAC).
Game Recap:
After three scoreless innings, Northwestern struck first in the fourth on an RBI single by Drew Dykstra to take a 1-0 lead.
Mount Marty responded immediately in the bottom of the inning, stringing together four hits. Will Gardner tied the game with an RBI single, Shugo Kondo followed with another RBI hit, and Lucas Kampshoff doubled home a runto put the Lancers up 3-1.
Northwestern cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth on a Luke Wroblewski RBI single before breaking through in the sixth. A costly error on a grounder back to the pitcher allowed two runs to score, flipping the lead to 4-3. A sacrifice fly by Brody Ayers added another unearned run, extending the Red Raiders' lead to 5-3.
Mount Marty couldn't muster a comeback, as Northwestern's bullpen held them scoreless over the final three innings.
Key Performances:
- Mount Marty: 3 runs, 9 hits, 1 error
- Northwestern: 5 runs, 7 hits, 1 error
- Winning Pitcher: Peyton Montecinos (2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K)
- Save: Brody Ayers (1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 K)
- Losing Pitcher: Jacob Walker (1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)
Turning Point:
In the sixth inning, a throwing error allowed two runs to score, giving Northwestern a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Pitching Breakdown:
- Jake Stolnack started strong, allowing two earned runs over four innings.
- Jacob Walker took the loss, despite not allowing a hit, as two walks and an error led to two unearned runs.
- Zach Hegge kept it close, throwing two solid innings without allowing an earned run.
Up Next:
Mount Marty (11-6, 0-1 GPAC) will look to bounce back in their next conference matchup.The Lancers will play at Doane on Sunday starting at noon.
