Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Baseball Team Falls Again in Extra Innings, 5-2
4/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 2, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - The final game of the Northwestern-Illinois baseball series proved to be the most thrilling of a heartstopping weekend, but like both games on Saturday the Illini were able to prevail in extra innings.
Northwestern fell to 13-11 on the season, 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats have lost all five games they have played at Rocky Miller Park this year, four of them in extra innings.
For the second time this weekend, a well-executed suicide squeeze brought the winning run home. This time, it was Craig Marquie who practically dove out of the batter's box to lay down a bunt on a pitch well out of the strike zone, scoring Joe Parenti. The Illini added insurance with RBI singles from Andy Schutzenhofer and Jeff Gertz.
Northwestern had a great chance to win in the 10th inning, loading the bases with none out. However, Illinois' ace reliever Matt Vorwald put out the fire, striking out pinch hitters Todd Morgan and Kris Musselman and getting help when Musselman missed a suicide squeeze attempt of his own that ended with J.P. Williamson getting tagged out near third base in a rundown.
Northwestern took the lead in the third inning, as Jason Anderson walked to lead off and scored two batters later on a single by Jeremy Kurella. In the fourth, NU added to the lead when Joe Hietpas led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice by Bob Dainton, and scored on a wild pitch.
Illinois tied it in the sixth when Rob Fischer roped a two-out single with two outs.
Dan Padgett got the start for Northwestern, going nine innings and allowing just six hits as he battled Illinois' Mitch Walk. Michael Nall was the losing pitcher for the Wildcats, taking his second loss of the weekend out of the bullpen.
Northwestern is next in action Tuesday afternoon, hosting Chicago State University at 3 p.m. Central.
