Saint Paul, MN -- This evening, the North Central University (NCU) baseball team made their way to Reynolds Field in St. Paul to face the Augsburg University (AU) Auggies in a non-conference doubleheader. The last time the Rams faced the Auggies in the 2022 season, the Rams were swept in a doubleheader, losing 9-0 in both games. Tonight, North Central would be defeated by Augsburg in both games with final scores of 13-1 and 7-5.
Game 1: NCU 1, AUG 13
North Central was unable to overcome a fast start by the home team in game one. Augsburg plated five runs over the first two innings, taking early control. Junior pitcher
Tim Yohan Dixon started for the Rams and worked through three innings but ran into command trouble as Augsburg capitalized on walks and extra-base hits to build their lead. NCU's lone run came in the top of the fourth inning. Senior catcher
Teagan Burch drew a walk, and an error advanced him to third. Junior center fielder
Jonah Taylor delivered an RBI single to left-center, scoring Burch to make it 5-1. Junior right fielder
Jacobi Woodfin provided a bright spot with a pair of singles, including a leadoff hit in the fifth. Fellow junior,
Dawson Barson and sophomore
Jacob Garcia also added hits for the Rams, but North Central stranded seven runners and couldn't build further momentum. On the mound, relievers Crespin Herrera II-Kult,
Nate Boyer, and Garcia all saw action, with Garcia finishing the final frame. Augsburg tacked on eight runs across the fifth and sixth innings to close out the game in command.
Game 2: NCU 5, AUG 7
The Rams bounced back with an energetic start in the nightcap. Barson opened the game with a double, and after a walk from sophomore Caleb Alfaro, Burch launched a three-run homer to left field—his fourth of the season—to give NCU a quick 3-0 lead. North Central added to its total in the second when Barson came through again with an RBI single, and in the third, Brett Letness and Nate Boyer set the table for Barson's second hit of the game to score Letness and make it 5-2. However, the lead wouldn't hold. Augsburg responded with three runs in the bottom of the third, including a two-run homer, to tie the game. They added two more in the fourth on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, pushing ahead 7-5. Despite strong efforts from Barson (2-4, 2B, RBI), Burch (2-4, HR, 3 RBI), and freshman Abiram Terron De Jesus (3-4, RBI), the Rams were unable to scratch across additional runs after the third inning. The bullpen trio of Brian Dahlstrand, Tim Bullert, and Cameron Pittman limited further damage, but the offense was held in check over the final four innings.
Top Performers:
- Teagan Burch (Sr., C): combined 2-6, HR, 3 RBI, BB
- Dawson Barson (Jr., SS): combined 3-8, RBI, R, 2B
- Abiram Terron De Jesus (Fr., 3B): combined 3-6, RBI, BB
Looking Ahead:
North Central will conclude the regular season with a home series against the University of Minnesota-Morris Cougars. The series will kick off on Friday, May 3rd at 1:30 PM.
All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on baseball and all things NCU Athletics.
