Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Minnesota
Baseball Team Downed by Minnesota, 4-1
4/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - As has been the case through three Big Ten weekends, Northwestern pitcher Zach Schara (Madison, Wis./West) was involved in a dual with his opposite number Friday afternoon. And for the third weekend in a row, a lack of offensive support pinned Schara with a hard-luck loss, this time 4-1 to Minnesota.
The junior righty pitched valiantly for the Wildcats, but after scratching out runs in the sixth and seventh Minnesota got the big hit when Josh Holthaus took Schara over the wall for a 2-run homer.
In three Big Ten outings, NU has provided Schara just one run on nine hits in 25 innings.
Northwestern had a chance to make some noise in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with three consecutive two-out singles. But Wesley Robinson (Bradenton, Fla./St. Stephen's), who had the Wildcats' best hit of the day with a fifth-inning double, swung and missed at three straight pitches to end the game.
Schara was outstanding once again, surrendering just seven hits on the day while striking out nine in going the distance. However, he was outdueled by the Gophers' Mike Kobow, who allowed just six hits and the one run in a complete-game effort of his own.
Northwestern drew first blood in the fifth, as Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) singled to score Robinson following his double. Minnesota leveled the score in their next chance, though, as Jeremy Negen doubled and then scored on a sacrifice fly two batters later. The Gophers took the lead for good in the seventh when Jack Hannahan doubled and then scored on a single by Jason Kennedy.
The Wildcats and the Gophers will continue their Big Ten weekend Saturday, meeting at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader at Rocky Miller Park. The weekend series is scheduled to conclude Sunday with a 1 p.m. game.
