Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Wildcats Sweep Illini; Win Game Four, 4-3
4/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Illinois Box Score in PDF Format
Chris Hayes (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) hit the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth inning right back up the middle, giving Northwestern a 4-3 win over Illinois Sunday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park. The win gives NU the series sweep (4-0) over Illinois and ups the Wildcats record to 18-16 overall, 10-8 in the Big Ten.
The four-game sweep of Illinois is the first four-game conference sweep for the Wildcats since they won four games at Iowa in 1998. It also marks the first time since 1984 that NU has swept the Fighting Illini, and the first time a Paul Stevens-coached team has accomplished the feat.
In the game, eight of the nine Wildcats to step to the plate had a base hit, including a solo home run by left-fielder Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington). It was Pohlman's fifth blast of the season.
NU jumped out early, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a hit-and-run single to right-field by starting pitcher Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South). Shortstop Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) hit a deep sacrifice fly ball to right-field, scoring Roeder and giving NU the 1-0 lead.
Illinois answered in the top of the next inning, as two singles and a sacrifice fly to right tied the game.
The Illini went ahead in the top of the fourth, 2-1. After a leadoff single and a stolen base, Ori struck out the next hitter and induced a ground ball to short. But a two-out single to center scored the runner from second.
The Wildcats recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Pohlman led off the inning with his home run. The next two hitters, right-fielder Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Hayes singled, and with one out Ori singled to load the bases. Mikrut hit a line-drive fly-ball to the left-fielder, scoring Ackley on his second sacrifice fly of the game.
Illinois tied the score 3-3 in the top of the eighth when senior T.F. Meagher singled to left, scoring a lead-off walk by Ori. In the inning, Ori was relieved by Hayes on the mound, who after giving up two singles, changed places with Mikrut at shortstop. Mikrut fielded a groundball for one out and struck out the final hitter of the inning.
In the ninth, Pohlman walked and advanced two bases on a throwing error by the third-baseman. Ackley reached on the error, setting up Hayes' heroics.
NU is next in action when they host Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Rocky Miller Park Tuesday afternoon, April 29. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
