Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois State
Wildcats Defeat Illinois State 11-5
5/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Northwestern scored in each of the first six innings to defeat Illinois State 11-5 Tuesday night at Redbird Field. Sophomore Antonio Mule hit two home runs and drove in four as the Wildcats totaled 15 hits in the game.
With the win, NU improves to 23-29 overall. NU is next in action when it travels to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on Purdue in the final four-game conference series of the season. NU is tied with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings and will play for the regular-season championship.
Northwestern jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After the ISU starter recorded the first two outs on just four pitches, right fielder Antonio Mule (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) hit a towering solo home run to right centerfield for the Wildcats' first run of the game. First baseman Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel) followed with a single to left and came around to score on a pair of Redbird errors.
Illinois State came right back to take a 3-2 lead on a three-run home run. After a one-out single off Wildcat starter Chris Davidson (Huntington Woods, Mich./Berkley), a would-be double-play groundball was misplayed extending the inning. The next hitter hit a 3-0 fastball over the left field wall.
NU manufactured a single run in the top of the second inning to tie the score 3-3. Shortstop Tommy Finn (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean) led off the inning with his third double of the season to right field. Finn moved to third on a groundball and scored on Jake Owens' (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) sacrifice fly.
After a 1-2-3 inning by Davidson in the bottom of the second inning, NU recaptured the lead 4-3 on a Max Mann (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood) sacrifice fly. McMahon scored on the sacrifice after singling earlier in the inning. Left fielder Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) also singled in the inning.
The Redbirds tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the third inning as three straight singles plated the tying run.
After two one-out walks and an ISU pitching change, Mule launched the first pitch he saw over the right field wall to give the Wildcats a 7-4 lead. Mule's three-run homer was his ninth of the season.
Northwestern scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 9-4 lead. Designated hitter Aaron Newman (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) hit an RBI-double down the right field line to score Finn from first base. Finn reached on a fielder's choice groundball. Owens then looped a single to center to score Newman.
ISU plated a single run in the bottom of the fifth on a throwing error by Davidson. After back-to-back singles, an error and a walk, head coach Paul Stevens called on freshman Eric Binder (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central) to close the door. Binder did just that. With runners on first and second and no outs, Binder induced a double-play groundball to Finn at shortstop and an unassisted groundball to McMahon at first to end the inning.
Davidson pitched four-plus innings in his second start of the season. He struck out five and walked four, giving up five runs (four earned). He threw 82 pitches.
Mann drove in his second run of the game with a groundball single through the left side of the infield. Wycklendt scored on the play after doubling down the right field line.
After scoring in each of the first six inning, the Wildcats went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning.
Junior lefty Dan Schwartz (New York, N.Y./Northern Valley Regional) came on in relief of Binder to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Binder pitched two innings of perfect relief.
NU didn't stay down long. They scored a single run on Rob Campbell's (Bloomfield, Mich./Andover) double play. Owens scored on the play after singling earlier in the inning.
Schwartz pitched the final three innings of the game. He gave up two hits and earned his fifth save of the season.
