Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Lewis
Baseball Team Drops Home Opener to Lewis, 6-4
3/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - The first game of the 2000 season at Northwestern's Rocky Miller Park proved to be a thriller, as Lewis University scored twice in the 11th inning and then stranded three Wildcat runners in the bottom half of the inning for a 6-4 victory.
The loss was just the fourth for Northwestern (13-7) in the last 17 games, while Lewis (17-11) won for the fourth time in a row.
Lewis got the winning run when pitcher Allan Wills stepped up and hit a bases-loaded single with nobody out. Two batters later, Mike Stacy brought in the insurance run with a fielder's choice to shortstop.
In the bottom half of the inning, Northwestern loaded the bases with just one out. However, Wills induced a strikeout from Andy Adams, and then Flyer centerfielder Jeff Johnson made a diving snare of Brandon Ackley's line drive to end the game.
After spotting Lewis two runs in the first, Northwestern quickly knotted the score with four hits, including RBI singles by Joe Hietpas and Pat Thompson. The Wildcats then took the lead in the fourth when Eric Roeder led off with a double and was quickly brought home by Ackley. Lewis tied it in the top of the fifth, but NU again took the lead in the bottom half when Bob Dainton scored Jeremy Kurella on a sacrifice fly.
Lewis tied it in the sixth, and after that both teams were held without a run until the 11th. Northwestern continued to swing the bats well, with 17 hits, but left the bases loaded in both the 10th and 11th innings and stranded 15 runners overall. Hietpas, Dainton and Ackley led the way with three hits apiece.
On the mound, Ben Dodd went six innings as the starter for Northwestern and allowed four runs on seven hits. Jacob Briskman allowed just one hit in two innings of relief before giving way to Michael Nall, who took the loss for the Wildcats. Ryan Bos also saw action, getting three Lewis batters out on three pitches in the 11th.
Northwestern will get into Big Ten play this weekend, hosting Illinois for four games at Rocky Miller Park beginning Friday at 2 p.m. The teams will then play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday, and then finish off the series with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.
