SHAW HOMERS THREE TIMES IN NORTHEAST SWEEP OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College baseball team was back at home Wednesday for a doubleheader with Western Nebraska Community College at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Baseball Field in Norfolk. The Hawks swept the day by final scores of 13-3 and 14-4 in the first-ever meetings of the two Nebraskan squads.

Northeast (9-9) did not score a run until the fourth inning of Game 1 but one run in the fifth and nine runs in the sixth ended the first showdown in just six innings. Aidan Brainard (Littleton, Colo.) picked up the win on the mound as the sophomore only allowed two hits and struck out eight batters. Ian Shaw (Ogallala, Neb.) homered and added three RBIs while Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.) clubbed two hits and two RBIs in the Hawks triumph.

Game 2 was more of the same for Northeast as Shaw blasted two more home runs to bring his total to three on the day. Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.) picked up four RBIs and Jack Borgmann (Norfolk, Neb.) blasted the first homer of his collegiate career in the sixth inning as the Hawks were able to force a run rule for the second time during the afternoon.

STAT SHEET GAME 1:

Ian Shaw (Ogallala, Neb.): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI

Carter Noakes (Dannebrog, Neb.): 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Aidan Brainard (Littleton, Colo.): 5 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 8 K

STAT SHEET GAME 2:

Ian Shaw (Ogallala, Neb.): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI

Kale Jensen (Central City, Neb.): 3-5, 2 R, 4 RBI

Matthew Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 K

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head Baseball Coach Marcus Clapp on the big day for his squad:

"I feel like today was a better day," Clapp said. "Probably the best day that we've actually played as a whole. Aidan Brainard was really good today. Their lefty had us for awhile there and then when they went to the pen it was a huge break for us, I felt like. Then we were able to jump on them a little bit. Game 2 we picked up where we left off offensively. It was a much better day. We played cleaner and we have to hopefully build off of this and keep working at it."

Clapp on how his wants to spend the week off before getting into the thick of the schedule:

"Just doing what we've been doing," Clapp said. "We are going to practice tomorrow and then give them a couple of days off. We'll get after it again next week. Southeast will be tough, but it will be good. It will be a good test for us. We're a week away from conference play after that, and then it matters. Hopefully we are starting to figure some things out at the right time."

UP NEXT:

The Hawks will have a week off before hosting Southeast Community College in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Norfolk Veterans Memorial Field in Norfolk.

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