Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Northern Iowa
Baseball Drops Opener in Extra Innings, 14-13
2/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - Despite a pair of home runs from Joe Hietpas, the Northwestern baseball team fell in an offensive shootout to open the 2000 campaign. Playing at the Oakland A's spring-training complex in Phoenix, the Wildcats fell to Northern Iowa, 14-13, in 10 innings.
The first three innings proved to be the antithesis of this contest, as neither team could score a run. Then the Wildcats scratched out two runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to take a seemingly commanding 6-0 lead.
However, starter J.J. Standring struggled in the sixth, getting just two outs while surrendering five runs. The Panthers then scored twice more in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead, before NU again looked to take control with five runs in the eighth.
Northern Iowa proved its resiliency twice on the day. The first time came in the ninth, when the Panthers scored four runs on Ben Dodd and Ryan Bos to tie the game. Then, after Northwestern scored twice in the top of the 10th to take a 13-11 lead, UNI scored three times, handing freshman Christopher Spiering a loss in his first collegiate appearance.
Errors proved costly to the Wildcats, as four errors allowed Northern Iowa to score five unearned runs on the day.
In addition to Hietpas, who finished with three hits, three runs and three RBI, J.P. Williamson had four hits while Bob Dainton, Jason Anderson and freshman Brandon Ackley had three hits apiece. At the top of the order, Jeremy Kurella went 2-7 with three stolen bases.
The Wildcats will meet Creighton Friday night, before playing Portland Saturday night and Washington Sunday morning.
