Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Baseball Team Swept by Illinois, 6-5 and 2-1
4/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern baseball team continued to have hard luck in extra innings Saturday, losing a pair of nine-inning games to Illinois, 6-5 and 2-1. Both games of the doubleheader were scheduled for seven innings.
The Wildcats fell to 13-10 (0-3 Big Ten), while the Illini improved to 18-7 (6-1 Big Ten). Since coming home from Florida, where they went 8-1, Northwestern has dropped four straight games at Rocky Miller Park -- three of them in extra innings. Overall, the 'Cats are 0-4 in extra-inning games this year.
In Game One, Illinois got a home run from Brady Ballard -- the Illini's fourth HR of the game -- that hit off the top of the fence and bounced over it in the ninth. In Game Two, the Illini gained the win off a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze from Jeff Gertz that scored pinch runner Greg Belcher.
The Wildcats came back from a 5-1 deficit to force the issue in Game One Saturday. In the bottom of the third inning, junior catcher Joe Hietpas (Appleton, Wis./North) knocked a two-run single to make the score 5-3, and then in the fifth Jeremy Kurella (Dunedin, Fla./Dunedin) tripled to score Frank Favia (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), then scored himself one batter later on a sacrifice fly by J.P. Williamson (Oak Park, Ill./River Forest).
The teams remained deadlocked after that until Ballard's homer off of Wildcat reliever Michael Nall (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg). Matt Vorwald, on in relief for the Illini, got the win as he set the 'Cats down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
In Game Two, Illinois scored in the first inning before starter Gabe Ribas (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) shut them down until the ninth. In the third, Favia singled and stole second, then advanced to third on a groundout by Kurella. Williamson then brought the freshman home with a sacrifice fly to knot the score.
The Wildcats had a chance to win it in the eighth, loading the bases, but Pat Thompson (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) grounded out to shortstop to end the threat. In the next half-inning, a pair of one-out singles by Illinois' Luke Simmons and Joe Parenti set the stage for Gertz' squeeze.
Ribas took the loss despite allowing just six hits and striking out five as he went the distance. Vorwald again got the win, coming on in relief with two scoreless innings.
Northwestern and Illinois will complete the four-game set Sunday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Central.
