Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
UW-Milwaukee
Wildcats Wallop Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 15-4
4/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Fueled by a 10-run seventh inning, Northwestern defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 15-4, Tuesday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park.
The big inning started with six straight hits, including a pair of doubles. The first six 'Cats to reach base all came around to score. In all, the Wildcats pounded out 15 hits to score their 15 runs, tying their season single-game high for runs scored. The 10-run seventh inning is a single-inning best for NU.
Things did not look so good in the early going for the Wildcats, as UWM jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when two unearned runs crossed the plate in the top of the second inning. Wildcat starter Ryan Myers was touched for two hits in the inning as the Panthers took advantage of a dropped ball at second base.
Myers pitched three complete innings, giving up three runs (one earned), while striking out five.
NU started to claw its way back, scoring a single run in the bottom of the second inning, as Doug Beatty hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Senior catcher Dan Pohlman led off the inning with a double straight down the left field line, moving to third on an Anthony Wycklendt sacrifice bunt. Jon Mikrut preceded Wycklendt and was hit by a pitch.
The Panthers extended their lead to 3-1 as a leadoff hit-by-pitch came around to score. A stolen base and a single plated the runner.
Myers was relieved by junior Evan Blesoff to start the fourth inning, as UWM started to take control of the game. The Panthers plated another unearned run in the top of the inning, making the score 4-1. The runner scored on a fielding error by the NU right fielder, after reaching base on a foiled sacrifice bunt attempt. The lead runner was cut down at third base on a nice fielding play by Blesoff.
Head coach Paul Stevens called on freshman Andrew Smith to start the fifth inning, relieving Blesoff. Blesoff pitched one inning, allowing one unearned run.
Smith earned the victory, pitching three complete innings of no-run baseball. It was just his second appearance after missing more than a month due to sickness (mono). Smith is now 2-0 on the season.
NU made the score 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, when NU's hottest hitter, Mark Ori, laced a single to the left field, scoring Chris Hayes from third. Hayes reached on a throwing error and moved to third on two groundball outs.
That's all UWM starter Robert Michalkiewicz would allow, pitching six complete innings of four-hit baseball. Michalkiewicz was relieved by Jed Dolske in the seventh inning. That's when the Northwestern bats came to life.
In the seventh inning alone, NU ripped off 10 runs on nine hits, as leadoff hitter Josh Lieberman and Pohlman both singled twice in the inning. Pohlman tallied three RBI in the inning. NU sent 13 hitters to plate, with eight of the first nine coming around to score. Six different Wildcats recorded RBI in the inning, as Ori and Wycklendt each hit doubles. It was Ori's 11th double of the season, tying Jason Krynski for the team lead.
NU wasn't done in the scoring column, plating three more runs in the eighth inning. Lieberman smacked his third straight single of the game to score one run and Hayes poked an RBI double down the left field line for another. The third and final run was unearned as Hayes crossed the plate on a Panther infielding error.
Sophomore Julio Siberio and junior Chris Davidson closed out the game on the mound for the Wildcats. Siberio pitched one and two-third innings, not allowing a run, and giving up one hit. Davidson pitched the last out of the game, getting a ground ball to himself to end it.
Offensively, Pohlman was 3-for-3 with a walk and hit-by-pitch. He now has a team-leading 33 RBI, 10 of which have come in the last four games. Ori continues to raise his average, gong 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Hayes tallied a season high three RBI, finishing the day 2-for-5. Lieberman was 3-for-6, while Krynski and Mikrut each tallied hits.
NU is next in action when it travels to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a four-game conference series, beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT) Friday. The games will be played at Iowa's Duane Banks Field.
