Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Elmhurst
Northwestern Cruises to 16-0 Win Over Elmhurst
4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Chris Lashmet went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, leading a 21-hit Northwestern effort as the Wildcats cruised to a 16-0 victory over Elmhurst Tuesday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park. Francis Brooke hurled five shutout innings to pick up his first collegiate win.
Lashmet's effort, which also included drawing a walk, paced five Wildcats who had multi-hit games, including Jake Goebbert who had three and Geoff Rowan, Quentin Williams and Jake Wilson who added two apiece. Lashmet, Williams and Wilson each drove in three runs in the contest.
Northwestern's 21 hits in the game are its most since posting the same total in a 12-3 win over Purdue May 18, 2007.
NU got things going right away in the first inning with a two-out rally as Goebbert doubled and Lashmet chased him home with a single to left field. The advantage grew to 2-0 in the second as Williams hit a towering drive down the left-field line that stayed just fair for his third home run of the season and second in as many games.
Brooke got the Bluejays to ground into double plays in both the second and third innings before the Wildcats put up a three-spot in the third. Avila plated Goebbert from third with a sacrifice fly prior to Williams bringing home two with a hustle double to center field that made it 5-0.
NU nabbed an Elmhurst runner at the plate to end the top of the fourth prior to breaking the game wide open with five runs in its half of the frame. Lashmet's second hit of the game brought home Tommy Finn before Chad Noble's sac fly made it 7-0. A run-scoring single by Avila chased Elmhurst starter Andy Bejlovec from the contest. A two-run double to left by Wilson capped the outburst and put Northwestern ahead 10-0.
After Brooke set down the Bluejays in order in the fifth, including recording a pair of strikeouts, the Wildcats surged ahead 13-0 with three in its half. Noble contributed his second sac fly of the contest, Jim Grieco drew a bases-loaded walk and Wilson drove in his third run with an infield single.
Northwestern completed the scoring with three runs in the seventh. Goebbert recorded the team's fourth sac fly of the contest, Lashmet completed his perfect day by singling home a run and Zach Morton walked the bases juiced to complete the scoring.
Following Brooke's five-inning effort in which he allowed only two hits and two walks and struck out four, Brian Morgan, Matt Gailey and Matt Havey did the rest. The trio surrendered only one hit over four innings of relief while fanning six.
Northwestern returns to action Wednesday as it hosts Northern Illinois at 3 p.m. at Rocky Miller Park.
