Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Minnesota
Northwestern Edged By No. 30 Minnesota, 5-4
4/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2009
Box Score
MINNEAPOLIS -
Northwestern held No. 30 Minnesota in check for the majority of their game Friday night at the Metrodome, but a four-run seventh inning by the Golden Gophers proved to be too much for the Wildcats to overcome in falling 5-4.
After Eric Jokisch put down the Golden Gophers in order through the first three frames, Northwestern got on the board first with a two-out rally off Minnesota starter Chauncy Handran in the top of the fourth. Chris Lashmet started things with a solid smash back up the middle. NU had two runners aboard following an infield single by Chad Noble. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a passed ball before Paul Snieder's rocket was too hot for Minnesota first baseman Nick O'Shea to handle and got through to right field, plating both runners.
The Golden Gophers got one run back in their half of the fourth to make it 2-1. Matt Nohelty started the inning with a single, extending his hitting streak to 17 games and his stretch of consecutive games reaching base safely to 44. He'd later score from third on an infield single by Michael Kvasnicka.
The Wildcats pushed their lead back up to two in the sixth and again it was Lashmet getting things started with two down. The sophomore third baseman ripped a double to deep left and Noble plated him with a line-drive single to right.
Jokisch was able to strand the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth, but he wasn't as fortunate in the seventh. A two-run homer by O'Shea knotted the score before RBI singles by Justin Gominsky and A.J. Pettersen gave the hosts a 5-3 lead.
Handran exited the game with two outs in the top of the eighth in favor of reliever Luke Rasmussen. The left-hander hadn't allowed a run since Feb. 28, but Jake Goebbert greeted him with a blast over the Hefty bag in right for his fourth homer of the season and second in as many games to get NU within a run.
Lashmet followed with a single, but Scott Matyas came on to record the final four outs to earn his fourth save of the season.
Both teams finished with nine hits apiece in the contest with Lashmet and Noble pacing the Wildcats with three apiece. Six of Minnesota's nine hits came in the decisive seventh inning.
The teams resume their three-game series with the second contest at 2:05 p.m. Saturday.
