AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Nebraska Wesleyan baseball team opened the 2018 season with a split against Ohio Northern University.  ONU won the opener, 8-4 then the Prairie Wolves came back to take the second game 8-5.
 
NWU scored five runs in the bottom of the 3^rd inning to break open the second game on their way to the win.  All five runs were unearned as the Prairie Wolves took advantage of two errors.  Cole Schumacher delivered the big hit of the game with a 2-run double to left field.
 
The Prairie Wolves added two more runs in the 3^rd inning on a 2-run double from Tyler Winterstein. 
 
Ohio Northern threatened in the 5^th inning scoring three runs, but two runners were stranded on base.  They added another run in the 6^th inning to get within one run.
 
Owen Gubbels hit an RBI single in the 6^th inning to get back ahead by two runs and that would be the game.
 
NWU finished with 10 total hits in the game, including three doubles.  Winterstein was 2-4 with three RBI, while Gubbels also had two hits.  Jesse Maguire got the victory on the mound pitching five innings allowing six hits and four runs with two strikeouts.
 
Ohio Northern jumped ahead 3-0 after two innings in the season opener and NWU was unable to recover.
 
The Prairie Wolves scored one run in the 3^rd inning on an RBI single by Gubbels, then added another run in the 5^th when Winterstein grounded out to drive in Gubbels making the score 4-2.  ONU would score one in the 5^th and three more in the 6^th to break open the game.
 
In the 7^th inning the Prairie Wolves did score two runs but a double play ended the threat and the game.
 
Spencer Scheer was 2-2 and Gubbels also had two hits to lead the NWU offense.  Brody Murphy took the loss allowing four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work with six strikeouts.