Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Ohio State
Buckeyes Best 'Cats in Out-of-Conference Tilt 11-6
3/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 22, 2007
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. - Playing in an out-of-conference contest, Ohio State defeated Northwestern 11-6 Thursday afternoon at IMG Academy Park in Bradenton, Fla. The Wildcats jumped ahead 5-1, but numerous walks and key Buckeye hits proved to much in the end. Freshman Chad Noble (pictured) and junior Antonio Mule each hit home runs in the loss. The Wildcats are next in action when they play a doubleheader versus Dartmouth on Saturday, March 24. Game one is set for 9:30 a.m. (CT).
Northwestern went ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning, scoring two unearned runs on one Ohio State error. Two two-out walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases and an errant throw from third to second allowed the two Wildcat runs to score.
The Buckeyes answered with one run in the bottom of the first off Wildcat starter David Jensen (Whittier, Calif./Mater Dei). A leadoff single came around to score on a one-out double.
Freshman catcher Chad Noble (Rockwall, Texas/Rockwall) led off the top of the second inning with a solo home run to right field. The opposite field round-tripper was his second of the season.
Still in the second, freshman shortstop Kenneth Avila (Corpus Christi, Texas/W.B. Ray) coaxed a base-on-balls and quickly stole second. On the steal, the throw went into center field, which allowed Avila to move to third. Left fielder Aaron Newman's (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) groundout to short allowed him to score and it gave NU a 4-1 lead.
NU extended its lead to 5-1 in the top of the third inning when second baseman Tommy Finn (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean) doubled to left centerfield to score centerfielder Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) from first base. Field reached on a bunt single. Finn was thrown out at third trying to advance on the play at the plate.
The Buckeyes took advantage of three walks and an infield error to score six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 7-5 lead. Jensen was relieved by classmate Jonathan Purcell (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) in the inning. The Buckeyes did have three hits in the inning, including a two-RBI double. Jensen pitched four-plus innings, gave up six runs (five earned) and struck out five. He did walk three.
OSU extended its lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning as a leadoff scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh inning, the Buckeyes extended their lead to 10-5 with the help of four walks and a hit batsman.
Ohio State moved ahead 11-5 in the eighth. A one-out triple scored on a double to centerfield.
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