Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Iowa
Northwestern Rocks Iowa 13-5 in Game One
4/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2008
Box Score
IOWA CITY, Iowa -
Northwestern scored 10 straight runs as it cruised past Iowa 13-5 in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Duane Banks Field. Jake Goebbert went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI to pace the Wildcats.
The victory by Northwestern (11-16, 6-7) snapped a four-game winning streak by Iowa (13-19, 4-9).
Iowa starter Brock Alberts managed to strike out the side in the top of the first inning, but the Wildcats got senior right-hander for two runs in the meantime. Aaron Newman drew a one-out walk and raced around to score on Goebbert's 14th double of the season. Two batters later, Chris Lashmet singled through the left side to plate Goebbert and put NU ahead 2-0.
Despite entering the game ranking next to last in the Big Ten with just 11 home runs on the season, the Hawkeyes touched co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Joe Muraski for a pair of longballs in the bottom of the first. Kevin Hoef led off the frame with his third homer of the season. Following a flyout and a walk, Caleb Curry connected for his third round-tripper of 2008 to put Iowa up 3-2.
Muraski was able to shake off the rough start, though, shutting out the Hawkeyes over the next five innings.
The Wildcats took advantage of some help from Iowa miscues in the field as it tied the game in the fourth and then took the lead in the fifth. Nate Roberts doubled down the left-field line with one out in the fourth and then stole third and scored when catcher Kody McManis' throw down went into left field.
Northwestern jumped in front with three runs in the fifth despite collecting only two hits. Tommy Finn opened the inning with a single and was at second with one down when a failed pickoff attempt moved him to third. After a walk to Newman, Goebbert's second double of the game drove home Finn and put two runners in scoring position. Mike Kalina followed with a routine grounder to third which went through the legs of Hoef at third, allowing another run to score. Lashmet would contribute a sacrifice fly to increase NU's lead to 6-3.
The 'Cats broke the game wide open with a six-run rally in the sixth. Jake Owens greeted reliever Kyle Heim rudely with an opposite-field homer to right, his second of the year. With one down, a pair of walks sandwiched a hit by Kalina, loading the bases for Nate Roberts. The freshman right fielder was hit by a pitch, bringing across Northwestern's eighth run. Nick Erdman entered in relief of Heim, but pinch hitter Max Mann drew a bases-loaded walk to bring across another run. Chad Noble then chipped in a two-run single to right-center and Finn added a sac fly to extend the advantage to nine.
Matt Gailey relieved Muraski on the mound to open the bottom of the seventh and allowed a pair of runs as the Hawkeyes got within 12-5. Iowa had the bases loaded with only one out when Matt Havey was summoned from the bullpen to stop the bleeding. The senior right-hander obliged, continuing his stellar season by getting Kurtis Muller to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to hold the hosts at bay.
Goebbert capped off the game's scoring in the eighth, launching a tape-measure blast to right for his team-leading seventh homer.
Muraski (4-3) earned his third consecutive win, working the first six innings. He allowed three runs and scattered seven hits while walking two and striking out four. Alberts (3-3) was handed the loss with just three of his six runs allowed being earned in six innings of work. NU finished with a 12-10 advantage in the hit column.
The second game of the twinbill was scheduled to get underway at approximately 5 p.m.
