Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Minnesota
Baseball Loses to Minnesota, 16-7
5/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 11, 2001
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - The Northwestern baseball team dropped the first game of a four-game conference series, 16-7, to the Minnesota Gophers at Siebert Field. The Gophers scored 14 runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to put the game out of reach for NU.
NU got on the board early, plating a run in the top of the first on a Gopher error. Designated hitter Todd Morgan (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) singled to left and first baseman Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) followed with a shot to right. Morgan scored from first when the Gopher second baseman overthrew first base.
Minnesota answered with a run in the bottom half, scoring on a Josh Holthaus single.
The 'Cats came right back in the third, scoring two runs on one hit and again capitalizing on a Gopher error. Shortstop Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) led the inning off with a walk and came around to score on left fielder David Gresky's (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) two-RBI single to right. Second baseman Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) reached on an error and also scored on Gresky's hit.
But U of M scored four runs in the third, six in the fourth, and four more in the fifth to take a 15-5 lead. The Gophers ended the game with 13 hits, 10 of which came during the third, fourth and fifth innings. NU didn't help its cause, committing four errors in the contest.
Offensively, freshman Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) crushed his second home run of the season, plastering a Mike Kobow fastball over the left center field wall. Minnesota officials estimated the long ball at 394 feet. Pohlman ended the game 2-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Gresky went 1-for-3 with two RBI, while sophomore Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Senior Michael Nall (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) started on the mound for the 'Cats, throwing three and two-thirds innings. Nall gave up 10 runs (six earned) on seven hits before giving way to senior J.J. Standring (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) and freshman Cody Conway (Maysville, Ky./St. Patrick). Standring threw one-third of an inning, giving up one run on two hits. Conway came in to throw the final four innings of the game, giving up five runs on four hits and striking out six.
After Friday's games, NU is in seventh place in the Big Ten, as both Illinois and Michigan won Friday. Illinois defeated Indiana, 6-5, and Michigan took down Big Ten leader Ohio State, 7-5. The current Big Ten standings:
1. Purdue -- 16-6
2. Ohio State -- 17-7
3. Minnesota -- 16-8
4. Penn State -- 12-11
5. Michigan -- 10-11
6. Illinois -- 11-13
7. Northwestern -- 11-14
8. Michigan State -- 9-14
9. Iowa -- 7-14
10. Indiana -- 6-17
