Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Indiana
Wildcats Win Home Opener 4-2 Over Indiana
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's baseball team opened its four-game series with Indiana with a 4-2 victory Saturday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston. Caleb Fields doubled home the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning as NU improved to 7-16 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten.
Playing its home opener after 22 games on the road to start the season, NU had to come from behind to win. Indiana plated single runs in the third and fourth innings as starter Ryan Myers (Lake Villa, Ill./Carmel) let one run in on a wild pitch. Myers pitched six and one-third innings, giving up two runs (one earned) and striking out seven. All seven of Myers' strikeouts went down looking.
NU got on the board in the fourth inning when Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) hit a sacrifice fly. First baseman Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel), who was walked to lead off the inning, scored on the play after moving to second on Antonio Mule's (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) single through the right side of the infield. McMahon stole third to set up the sacrifice.
McMahon led off the sixth inning with his second home run of the season, this one a solo shot to right field. It was his second round-tripper of the season.
After McMahon's homer, Mule and designated hitter Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) each singled. Mule then tagged up on a fly ball to deep right field, leaving runners on first and third with one out. After Max Mann (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, third baseman Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) lined a double to the right centerfield wall. Mule and Brauer scored on Fields' first double of the season to give NU a 4-2 lead.
That's all NU would need as relievers Dan Schwartz (New York, N.Y./Northern Valley Regional) and Julio Siberio (Davie, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) shut down the Hoosier offense.
Schwartz pitched two innings of one-hit relief, needing just seven pitches to set down the first five hitters he faced.
In the top of the ninth inning, a lead off single and a walk reached base. Schwartz got the first out of the inning, as he threw out the lead runner at third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt. But, after falling behind 2-0 to the next Hoosier hitter, head coach Paul Stevens called on Siberio to close the door.
After the 2-0 hitter walked to load the bases (which was charged to Schwartz), Siberio induced a groundball double play to end the game. It was Siberio's first career save.
Offensively, Mule was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, ending the day 2-for-3 with one run scored. Fields tallied two RBI and McMahon scored a pair of runs.
This is the fourth-straight season NU has won its home opener.
The Wildcats and Hoosiers continue the series with a doubleheader tomorrow. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. (CT).
