Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Ohio State
Baseball Defeats No. 21 Ohio State, 11-8
3/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 30, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Playing the third game of a four-game series at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Northwestern's baseball team defeated No. 21 Ohio State, 11-8. Catcher Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) led the offense, hitting safely in three of his four at-bats, including a three-run home run over the left centerfield fence.
NU jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter, Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out and Lierberman on second, right fielder Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./.Carmel) lined a double to left center, scoring Lieberman. After David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and the second NU, freshman Stanley Finch (Lubbock, Texas/Cooper) pulled a double to left field, bringing in Ackley from third and Gresky from first.
Ohio State answered with a single run of there own, when leadoff hitter Brett Garrard scored on the first of four Wildcat errors.
Neither team scored until the fourth inning when Finch led the inning off with a base-on-balls and advanced to second on an OSU error. Shortstop Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) singled to left, advancing Finch to third. After hitting a second-inning double, Padgett rocked his third home run of the year, chasing the OSU pitcher from the game.
Down 6-1, the Buckeyes didn't stay down long. In all, NU gave up seven runs (all unearned) on five hits, including a Nick Swisher home run (his third of the day). NU committed three errors in the inning.
Down 8-6, the Wildcats jumped all over OSU pitcher, Mike Madsen. Ackley walked and advanced to second on a Gresky single off of Madsen's leg. Junior Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) hit a pinch-hit single to right, scoring Ackley. Mikrut singled to left, loading the bases for Padgett. Padgett followed with a single to center, scoring Gresky for his fourth RBI of the game. After an OSU pitching change, junior Todd Morgan, who pinch-hit for Matt Thompson (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), reached base on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an OSU error. Both Mikrut and Tharp scored.
NU added some insurance in the sixth, when Steve Haake (Belleville, Ill./Gibault) knocked his second home run of the season over the right field wall.
Freshman James Happ (Peru, Ill./St. Bede Academy) came on in relief of Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest), throwing the final three innings and not giving up a hit, while striking out four. Happ picked up his second save of the season while extending his scoreless innings pitched steak to 14.
NU improves to 7-11 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten. They are next in action when they finish up the four-game series with the Buckeyes on Easter Sunday, game time is set for 1:05 pm EST.
