Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
UW-Milwaukee
Wildcats' Comeback Bid Falls Short, 6-5
4/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 30, 2008
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern trailed by five early and nearly rallied all the way back before dropping a tight 6-5 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Rocky Miller Park Wednesday afternoon. The Wildcats stranded 11 baserunners in the contest.
Jake Owens went 3-for-5 in the contest for NU (16-20), while Tony Vercelli had two hits including a home run.
Northwestern was the first team to get on the scoreboard, pushing across one run in the bottom of the second. Mike Kalina led off the frame with a double and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Vercelli.
However, the Panthers (15-27) took the lead in the ensuing half-inning as Shawn Wozniak touched starter Bo Schultz for a three-run home run to put the visitors up 3-1.
Milwaukee added two more runs in the fourth as it connected for three doubles against Joe Muraski to go ahead 5-1. Brian Morgan surrendered one more run in the fifth as the Panthers extended their lead to five.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats had a tough time getting their offense going against soft-throwing left-hander Ben McClarey. After stranding six baserunners through the first five innings, Northwestern got a run back in the sixth on Vercelli's second homer of the season over the fence in left.
The charge continued in the seventh as NU got an unearned run when Chris Lashmet singled home Aaron Newman with two outs. Andy Hetebrueg relieved McClarey on the mound and surrendered a walk to load the bases, but got a strikeout to prevent any further damage.
Consecutive singles by Vercelli and pinch hitter Jake Wilson put two aboard with no one out in the eighth as the Panthers went to their bullpen again, bringing on Adam Ferrell. Newman looked as though he was about to hit into a double play, but shortstop Wes Munson's third error of the game allowed all runners to be safe to load the bases.
An infield single by Owens plated a run to get Northwestern to within 6-4. Following a strikeout, Jake Goebbert contributed a sacrifice fly to get the 'Cats within a run. A throwing error by Munson on the play, his fourth miscue of the game, allowed a pair of runners to move into scoring position on the play, but Ferrell got a groundout to maintain the Panthers' one-run lead.
Ferrell was able to retire the Wildcats in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.
Goebbert's double in the first inning was his 21st of the season, allowing him to tie Kent McGuire for the single-season school record originally set in 1977. Owens' three hits in the contest raised his career total to 243, 17 shy of Tom Hildebrand's all-time mark.
Northwestern returns to action at 6 p.m. Friday when it opens a key four-game series at Illinois.
