Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan St
Baseball Loses Game 1 in Final Inning, 7-6
4/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 21, 2001
EAST LANSING, MICH. - The Northwestern baseball team dropped Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning. In a back and forth game that saw five lead changes, MSU scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 7-6.
The Spartans started the scoring with two runs on four hits in the second inning, but NU answered with two runs in the top of the fourth. Centerfielder Steve Haake (Belleville, Ill./Gibault) continued to swing a hot bat, starting the NU rally with his 13th double of the year. Junior Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) followed with an infield single, and Todd Morgan (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) scored Haake on a fielder's choice. Morgan then stole second and was driven in by senior Joe Hietpas (Appleton, Wis./North) to make the score 2-2.
MSU's Bob Malek came up in the fifth and followed a Chris McCuiston double with his fourth home run of the year to put the Spartans up 4-2.
Northwestern answered with three runs in the top of the sixth, as freshmen David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and Jason Krynski (Niles, Ill./Niles West) each homered for the 'Cats. Gresky's two-run shot was the first of his collegiate career, while Krynski's roundtripper put the 'Cats up 5-4 with one and half innings to play.
The Spartans didn't stay down long as Kevin Crews hit an RBI single tying the game 5-5. But for the second straight game Haake hit a home run, giving the 'Cats a 6-5 advantage heading into the bottom half of the last inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, senior Michael Nall (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) came on in relief of starter Gabe Ribas (Brunswick, Maine/ Brunswick). Nall gave up two runs on one hit, two walks and a hit batsman. His record fell to 4-6 on the season. Ribas threw six strong innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and striking out three.
