HOW IT HAPPENED 

• While it was chilly outside, Nebraska Wesleyan scorched North Central (MN) 23-2 on Monday to win the home opening series. It is NWU's second series sweep of the season. Nebraska Wesleyan is now 8-6 on the season.
• The patient plate strategy used by Nebraska Wesleyan directly contributed to their eight-run fourth inning and early advantage. Zach Osbahr singled to start the fourth inning, and after that, six straight Prairie Wolves reached base, including Evan Kling who hit a grand slam. The Prairie Wolves were hit by 12 pitches and walked 31 times throughout the series.
• Noah Unger got the start and the win on the mound, giving up five hits, and two runs through five innings of work. Relievers Bryson Knapp and Noah Wing did the rest. Each went one inning without giving up a hit on the afternoon.
• The fifth and sixth innings, were all Nebraska Wesleyan, as Osbahr, Kling, Hunter Zielasko, Jake Gerardis, Carter Betts, John Haimowitz and Tyler Merkel all had extra base-hits.
• The Prairie Wolves combined for 21 runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to help end the game early.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hunter Zielasko (3B): 2-2, 2 H, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Evan Kling (DH): 2-4, 2 H, 4 RBI, 1 HR
• John Haimowitz (C): 4-4, 4 H, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB
• Noah Unger (P, 2-2): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB

HEAD COACH ERIC IGNATOWSKI'S COMMENTS

• "We played a pretty complete weekend."
• "We are still leaving plays on the field, but our pitching and hitting was more than enough."
• "We are starting to slowly see some leadership and accountability in the dugout and that is starting to then show on the field in guys' play."

UP NEXT
For the start of conference play, Nebraska Wesleyan will depart for Luther College on Friday at 3 p.m.