NU Downs Dartmouth, 11-6

Saturday, March 27

Bradenton, Fla. (AP-1)

9 a.m.

Northwestern

Dartmouth

3/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

March 27, 2004

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BRADENTON, Fla. - Northwestern wrapped up its spring break trip with an 11-6 win over Dartmouth Saturday morning at Academy Park #2 in Bradenton, Fla. The Wildcats played seven games while in Florida, ending the trip with a 5-2 record. Dan Brauer was the winning pitcher in today's game, throwing six and one-third innings. He struck out nine in the contest.

NU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when Jon Mikrut hit a first-inning three-run inside the park home run to straightaway center field. Matt Brimmer was on third after being hit by a pitch and moved to second on Jason Krynski's single to center. After a Dan Pohlman fly out to left, that moved Brimmer to third, Mikrut stepped up and delivered his blast. It was Mikrut's second home run of the season.

Brimmer tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning, driving a 1-1 fastball over the right field fence. Brimmer's first home run of the season put NU up 4-0 after five complete innings.

Dartmouth mounted a comeback, scoring one run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh, making the score 4-3 Northwestern.

Brauer was lifted after one out in the sixth inning, as head coach Paul Stevens called on junior Chris Hayes. After a single, Hayes forced the second out at home plate, before giving up a two-RBI single. A line out to second base ended the Dartmouth half of the seventh inning. It was Hayes' team-leading 12th appearance on the mound.

Brauer earned the victory, upping his season record to 3-1. He has a 2.15 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 37.2 innings of work.

But in the bottom half of the seventh inning, a costly Big Green error opened the door for NU. Left fielder Doug Beatty led off with a double over the right fielder's head, followed by a Caleb Fields hit by pitch. Third baseman Josh Lieberman laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving the runners over. Brimmer followed with a groundball to third base, which was thrown away on the throw to first. Beatty scored on the error as Fields and Lieberman advanced. Krynski was intentionally walked and Pohlman followed with a two RBI-single through the left side. Following a Mikrut fly out, which moved Krynski to third, Mark Ori delivered a two-RBI double to the right centerfield gap. In the inning, NU scored five runs on three hits.

Mikrut took the hill in the top of the eighth, giving up one run on one hit.

The Wildcats tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth inning, as Brimmer and Krynski each had RBI singles. Brimmer drove in Fields, who had reached on an infield single, and Krynski plated Brimmer after advancing to second on a play at the plate.

Dartmouth did not go quietly, scoring two runs off Mikrut in the ninth, ending the game with the score 11-6.

Offensively for NU, Brimmer was 2-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored. Krynski continued to hit opposing pitching, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Ori was 2-for-4 with a double and two-RBI, while Mikrut totaled three RBI in the game.

NU is next in action when they open the Big Ten season at home, taking on Indiana in a four-game series. Game one is set for 3 p.m. (CST) Friday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park.