Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Miami (Fla.)
Baseball Drops Heartbreaker to Defending National Champion Miami, 5-3
3/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 26, 2002
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - After a one hour and 40 minute rain delay in Coral Gables, Fla., junior Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) kickstarted the Wildcat offense with a first-inning three-run home run over the right centerfield wall. But that was all NU could muster as Miami starter Kiki Bengochea threw six and two-third innings in the 5-3 Miami win.
In the first, Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) hit a two-out single to left center and advanced to second on a David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) walk. Tharp was up next and took a first-pitch fastball deep over the right center wall. It was Tharp's second home run of the season.
The Hurricanes answered in the second when Matt Dryer hit a solo shot over the left field wall, making the score 3-1 Northwestern.
Starting pitcher Dan Pohlman ( Barrington, Ill./Barrington) threw the first three innings, giving up just the Dryer home run while striking out two.
Miami kept it close, due in large part to the turnaround by Hurricane hurler Bengochea. After the first inning home run and a two out single in the second, Bengochea set down 12 Wildcats in a row before Gresky broke the streak with a two-out single in the sixth.
Wildcat freshman Stanley Finch (Lubbock, Texas/Cooper) relieved Pohlman in the fourth, giving up two runs (one earned) in three innings.
With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Miami right fielder Jim Burt led off with a base-on-balls. Burt advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt attempt, as the throw from Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) was late. After head coach Paul Stevens was thrown out of the game for arguing the call, Padgett threw out Burt at third on another Hurricane sacrifice bunt attempt. Miami coach Jim Morris also was thrown out of the game for arguing the call at third base. After NU reliever Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) (who started in the seventh inning) struck out pinch hitter Kevin Mannix, leadoff hitter Brad Safchik lined a triple to the right center gap, scoring two runs.
Offensively, both teams managed just five hits as Ackley led the Wildcats, going 2-for-4 in the game.
NU went down one-two-three in the ninth, picking up its ninth loss of the season. The Wildcats head to Columbus, Ohio to open the conference season vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes. Game one is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Friday, March 29.
