The Charger baseball team split their doubleheader against the visiting Northwestern Red Raiders at the Bishop Muller Complex Friday afternoon, winning game one 3-1 and falling in game two 10-7.
 
Game One – W, 3-1

Briar Cliff was first to strike in the bottom of the first inning. Cael Walrod reached on a leadoff single and later came around to score to give the Chargers an early 1-0 advantage.

The Chargers added to their lead in the second inning as Raenan Padilla doubled to open the frame and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Brody Nardini, pushing the lead to 2-0.

Both teams were held scoreless over the next two innings before Briar Cliff extended its lead in the fifth. Cade Marquardt doubled to start the inning and was replaced by pinch runner Kaden Allred, who later scored on an RBI double by Grant Devecsery to make it 3-0.

Northwestern got on the board in the sixth inning with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-1, but that would be as close as the Red Raiders would get.

Nick Hays was dominant on the mound for the Chargers, tossing a complete game while allowing one run on eight hits with six strikeouts and just one walk.

Briar Cliff recorded eight hits in the contest, highlighted by multiple extra-base hits. Greyson Kay led the way with two doubles, while Marquardt, Padilla and Devecsery each added a double.

Game Two – L, 10-7
 

Northwestern struck early, plating two runs in the second inning and adding two more in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
 

Briar Cliff answered in the bottom of the third, cutting into the deficit with a three-run frame. Cade Marquardt delivered a two-RBI triple while Raenan Padilla followed with an RBI single to make it 4-3.
 

The Chargers evened the score in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Grant Devecsery, and then took their first lead of the game in the fifth. Briar Cliff plated three runs in the inning, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Nico Sall and an RBI double from Cael Walrod to go in front 7-4.
 

Northwestern responded in the sixth inning, scoring twice to trim the Briar Cliff lead to 7-6.
 

After a scoreless seventh, the Red Raiders broke through in the eighth inning. A three-run home run gave Northwestern the lead before an additional run later in the frame extended the advantage to 10-7.
 

Briar Cliff was unable to answer over the final two innings as Northwestern closed out the victory.
 

The Chargers finished with 13 hits in the contest. Sall led the offense with four hits and two RBIs, while Marquardt added three hits and two RBIs. Walrod recorded two hits and drove in a run.

 The Cliff move to 11-14 (4-2 GPAC) and will host the Mount Marty Lancers tomorrow at the Bishop Muller Complex. Game one is slated for 12 p.m. with game two to follow shortly after.