Lashmet Homers Twice, But NU Falls to Michigan 4-3

5/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 14, 2010

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Chris Lashmet socked a pair of home runs and scored three times, but two-out rally by Michigan in the bottom of the seventh plated the game's decisive run as Northwestern dropped the opening game of its three-game series with the Wolverines 4-3 Friday evening at Ray Fisher Stadium. The two teams entered the day among a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten standings.

The last time Eric Jokisch took the mound at Ray Fisher Stadium was the final start of his freshman campaign in 2008 and he hurled a shutout against the 17th-ranked Wolverines that afternoon.

However, on this night the Wolverines were able to get on the board in the bottom of the first. Patrick Biondi drew a leadoff walk and two perfectly executed hit-and-runs later, the Wolverines had the first score of the game before a fielder's choice groundout gave the hosts a 2-0 lead.

NU got one right back in the top of the second as Lashmet started the frame with a home run to left and just beyond the markers on the wall commemorating Barry Larkin and Jim Abbott. The Wildcats would get runners to second and third with one out against Alan Oaks but were unable to cash in.

Lashmet proved to be an effective leadoff man again in the fourth. The junior third baseman socked a no-doubter to left-center for his second round-tripper of the contest and his sixth of the season to tie the game 2-2.

Northwestern would claim its first lead of the contest in the sixth and once again it was Lashmet who got things going. With one away, Oaks was able to hold him to a single, but Lashmet was able to race all the way around to score on Zach Morton's double down the left field line.

Jokisch put up four straight zeros following the rough first inning, but the Wolverines wasted little time in re-tying the game in the home half of the sixth. Following Ryan LaMarre's leadoff triple, Chris Berset singled him home to make it a 3-3 contest.

The Wildcats had an outstanding opportunity to re-claim the lead in the top of the seventh but were denied. Chris Kontos started the inning with a double to mark the end of Oaks' night. Matt Gerbe came on to pitch and Kontos moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, but the NU sophomore was nailed at the plate trying to score on a grounder to first.

Chad Noble's single put runners at the corners with two down for Paul Snieder. It appeared as though Snieder's grounder up the middle was destined for center field, but second baseman Anthony Toth made a beautiful diving stop and was able to get up in time to retire Snieder at first for the third out.

Jokisch was able to retire the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, but a walk to Biondi proved costly. Consecutive singles by Toth and LaMarre plated the game's decisive run.

Tyler Burgoon worked the final two frames for Michigan, allowing only a two-out single to Trevor Stevens in the eighth and a two-out walk to Arby Fields in the ninth, to earn his ninth save of the season.

The teams continue their three-game series Saturday with first pitch set for noon Central time.

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