Jeff Sakowski had 3 Home Runs on the weekend. The Northwood Knights nailed down their eighth and ninth wins of the season after completing a doubleheader sweep of College of the Ozarks on Saturday. The victories extended the Knight's win streak to five games. Though successful, the wins weren't easy.
The Knights were forced to mount a big comeback for the game one win. The Bobcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead on starter Corey Sartor and reliever Sean Ayala. Sartor was lifted in the fourth inning with one out and the bases loaded. Ayala gave up consecutive singles allowing three runs to score.
NU began their comeback in the bottom of the fourth as Jeff Sakowski led off the inning with a solo homer, his second of the year. The Knights scored twice in the fifth with RBI doubles by Sakowski and Adam Humes. Trailing 6-4 in the seventh, the Knights completed the comeback with a two out, three-run rally. NU combined two hits and four walks to take the 7-6 victory. Chase Campbell pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Both teams came out swinging in the second game. The Knights scored three runs in the first on three hits. With one out, Justin Keithley and Justin Coats singled to set the table for Sakowski's three-run homerun. The 3-1 lead was shortlived. NU's Garrett Randle couldn't hold the lead as the Bobcats came roaring back with four runs in the second to take a 5-3 lead. With two out in the bottom of the second, the Knight's Anthony Washington delivered an RBI double to cut the lead to 5-4.
The Bobcats extended their lead to 7-5 in the fifth to set up the Knight's late inning dramatics. With one out, Sakowski hit his third homerun of the day, a solo shot to trim the lead to 7-6. After a walk and a single, Thomas Huggins launched a three-run homer to right. NU added one more for the final 10-7 score. Tyler Rucker picked up the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief.
The Knights (9-5) host Oklahoma Wesleyan Univesity next Friday at Knights Field.
