Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
Wildcats Garner Series Split With 6-2 Win Over Purdue
4/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 13, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Purdue Box Score in PDF Format
Northwestern scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning on their way to a 6-2 victory over Purdue Sunday afternoon. The game, being played at Rocky Miller Park, was the fourth in a four-game conference series between the two teams. The victory earned the Wildcats a series split with the Boilermakers, giving NU a 12-12 overall record and 5-5 in the Big Ten.
In the first inning, center-fielder David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) and catcher Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) each had RBI singles. Designated hitter Mark Ori got things started with a sharp one-out single to center and was followed by a Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) single down the left-field line. Gresky then lined a single to center, scoring Ori from second. After a Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) walk, Purdue starter Jason Driscoll unleashed a wild pitch, allowing Mikrut to cross the plate. With runners on second and third and one out, Padgett blistered a single to center, scoring Gresky and Pohlman.
With NU up 4-0, Purdue got on the board in the top of the fifth, plating a single run on one hit.
NU tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth as second-baseman Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) knocked in both runs with a single to right-centerfield. Lieberman's hit scored Pohlman and Padgett. Pohlman walked and Padgett reached on a fielding error.
Purdue scored its second run of the game after a leadoff walk and double down the left-field line put runners on second and third with no outs. After a strikeout, a ground-ball out to third base plated the run.
Wildcat starter, freshman Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South), went seven strong innings on the mound, giving up two runs (one earned) on nine hits and striking out six. Brauer improves to 3-0 on the year with an ERA of 2.22.
Sophomore Chris Hayes (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) relieved Brauer to start the eighth inning, giving up one hit in two innings of work.
Offensively, Ori went 3-for-4 from the plate, raising his average to .414 in Big Ten games. Lieberman went 2-for-4 with two RBI while Padgett finished 1-for-3 with two RBI.
NU is next in action when they travel to Chicago State on Tuesday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
