Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan St
Baseball Defeats Michigan State, 8-4
4/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Northwestern baseball team used a 13-hit attack to win Game 1 of a four-game conference series against the Michigan State Spartans. The games are being played at Cobs Field in East Lansing, Mich. The teams combined for 20 hits and 12 runs as the Wildcat hitters prevailed, 8-4.
NU got on the board early, as lefthander Steve Haake (Belleville, Ill./Gibault) hit an opposite-field home run in the top of the first. But MSU answered in the bottom half with two runs of their own off starting pitcher Zach Schara (Madison, Wis./West).
After a Spartan run in the bottom of the second made the score 3-1, NU answered with a run in the top of the third when Haake doubled off the left field wall to score Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) from first. Roeder singled in his at-bat.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Wildcats came out swinging and scored five runs on four hits in the fifth, batting around in the process. Junior Todd Morgan (Shorewood, Minn./ Minnetonka) led the hit parade, as four of the first five Wildcat hitters singled in the inning. NU also took advantage of two Spartan miscues to take a 7-3 lead.
The Spartans got back on the board in the seventh, as two Schara walks and a two-out single made the score 7-4. Freshman Dan Konecny (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) came in to shut the door in the seventh as Schara ended his outing, giving up four runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings.
NU answered the seventh-inning Spartan run, manufacturing a run in the top of the eighth. Haake led off with his second double of the game and 12th of the season, then advanced to third on a Morgan ground out. With one out and Haake on third, freshman David Gresky hit a sacrifice fly to left, making the score 8-4 after seven and half innings.
Konecny threw a perfect two and one-third innings to pick up his second save in Big Ten play. He struck out three of the seven batters he faced.
The 'Cats are next in action tomorrow, when they play Games 2 and 3 against the Spartans. Game 1 of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at noon, central time.
