Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
Illini Claw Back for 8-7 Win Over Wildcats
4/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 14, 2007
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. - After suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, Northwestern let two leads slip away in an 8-7 game-two loss. Up 4-1 after the first inning and 7-4 after the fourth, NU gave up four runs in the sixth for its fifth-straight loss. The setback drops the Wildcats to 8-20 overall, 2-9 in the Big Ten. Northwestern and Illinois wrap up their four-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Freshman Joe Muraski (Rothschild, Wis./D.C. Everest) started on the mound for Northwestern and gave up a double to the first hitter of the game. That runner eventually came around to score and gave Illinois a 1-0 lead after the first half inning of play.
NU responded in a big way. They exploded for four runs on five hits, including two bunt for base hits. Third baseman Jake Owens (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) hit an RBI double in the inning, while first baseman Jake Goebbert (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) singled home a run. Senior Mike Kalina (Munster, Ind./Munster) bunted for a hit and drove in a run when the ball teetered along the baseline, but stayed fair.
The 4-1 lead was short-lived.
Illinois tied the game in the top of the third inning when they scored three runs on three this. One of those three this was a two-run home run.
But, the Wildcats recaptured the lead with a single run in the bottom half of the third inning. Senior Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) led off the inning with his second hit of the game and came around to score on Kalina's second hit and RBI of the game. Fields went to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Northwestern extended its lead to 7-4 with two more runs in the fourth inning. A pair of one-out walks came around to score on Fields' two-RBI double to right field.
Muraski pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, but got into trouble in the sixth. Muraski gave up two doubles and a single before head coach Paul Stevens called on freshman David Jensen (Whittier, Calif./Mater Dei) to close the door. Unfortunately for NU, two more singles led to the Illini scoring a total of four runs in the inning to take an 8-7 lead.
NU did not threaten in the sixth or seventh innings.
