Wildcats Win Wild One Over Wolverines, 10-8

5/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 15, 2010

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ray Fisher Stadium)
Score: Northwestern 10, Michigan 8
Records: NU (22-28, 11-9 Big Ten), Michigan (30-19, 11-9 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, May 16 -- at Michigan (Ray Fisher Stadium), Noon CT

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Northwestern saw a six-run lead disappear, but scored three times with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to win a wild 10-8 affair over Michigan at Ray Fisher Stadium Saturday afternoon. Freshman Jack Havey hit his first collegiate home run and drove in five to lead the Wildcats' 18-hit attack.

Northwestern put its leadoff man on base in each of the first two innings, but was unable to cash in against Michigan starter Bobby Brosnahan.

The third inning proved to be a different story, though, as the Wildcats strung together six hits in scoring three runs to take the lead. Consecutive singles by Geoff Rowan and Trevor Stevens allowed Chad Noble to move both men into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Paul Snieder followed with a run-scoring single to right that plated Rowan, with Stevens being called out on a bang-bang play at the plate.

However, NU got clutch two-out singles from Zach Morton and Arby Fields to stretch its advantage to 3-0.

Francis Brooke, who normally has pin-point command, struggled a bit with spotting his pitches in the early going. The sophomore right-hander entered the contest having hit only one batter all season, but he pegged one apiece in the second and third innings. Thanks in part to the beanball in the third, Michigan was able to get one run back on an RBI groundout by Anthony Toth to get within 3-1.

The Wildcats got some breathing room in the fifth, chasing Brosnahan from the game in the process. With two on and one out, Havey launched an off-speed offering from Brosnahan over the 30-foot high brick wall in left for a three-run homer to make it 6-1. NU had runners at the corners with two outs when Chad Noble's grounder to short was booted, allowing Rowan to score from third and increase the Wildcats' lead to six.

Michigan got one run back in the home half of the fifth on a solo homer by Nick Urban before the worm completely turned in a nightmarish sixth. Three straight homers with one out by Ryan LaMarre, Chris Berset and Coley Crank made it a 7-5 game. The Wolverines would get another run on an RBI double by John Lorenz before the hosts remarkably took the lead on a Northwestern error that scored two runs.

As devastating as the blown lead was, the Wildcats refused to go away. A two-out error in the top of the eighth inning opened the door for NU to reclaim the lead. After Chris Lashmet reached, Morton doubled to the base of the wall in left-center to chase him home with the tying run. Following an infield single by Fields that put runners on the corners, Havey plated both men with a two-run double down the left-field line that gave Northwestern a 10-8 edge.

Snieder moved to the mound for the Wildcats in the bottom of the eighth and survived a major threat to help NU maintain its lead. The Wolverines loaded the bases with only one out and the No. 4 and 5 hitters in the lineup coming up, but Snieder got a flyout to short left and a strikeout to hold on to the two-run margin.

Michigan had one final chance in the ninth and got a one-out baserunner on a base on balls. But right fielder Chris Kontos made a long running catch to flag down a flyball by John Lorenz and then made a perfect throw to double Urban off first base to end the game.

Havey, Rowan and Stevens led Northwestern with three hits apiece, while Lashmet scored three times for the second consecutive game. NU's 18 hits came up just one shy of its season high of 19 accomplished twice this season.

Michael Jahns (3-2) was credited with the win, hurling 1 2/3 shutout innings of relief. Snieder struck out a pair in his two innings of work to earn his Big Ten-leading 11th save, one shy of the school single-season record.

The Wildcats and the Wolverines conclude their three-game series with Sunday's rubber match slated to begin at noon Central time.

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