Northwestern Homers Four Times in Downing Illinois, 7-5

5/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 2, 2010

Site: Champaign, Ill. (Illinois Field)
Score: Northwestern 7, Illinois 5
Records: NU (18-25, 9-6 Big Ten), Illinois (20-20, 6-9 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Tuesday, May 4 -- vs. Valparaiso (Gary, Ind.), 7 p.m.

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Northwestern ripped four home runs and earned its fourth consecutive Big Ten series victory with a 7-5 win over Illinois at Illinois Field Sunday afternoon. Paul Snieder went deep twice, while Chris Kontos and Trevor Stevens each left the yard once.

The win allowed the Wildcats to remain in a tie for first place in the Big Ten standings with Michigan at 9-6.

David Jensen got the start on the mound for the Wildcats and worked around a pair of baserunners in the first before retiring the first two men he faced in the second. However, Adam Davis was able to draw a hit-by-pitch before Josh Parr connected for his first home run of the season to put Illinois up 2-0.

Jensen ran into trouble again in the third as with one out he walked Aaron Johnson and then hit Michael Giller. Michael Jahns came on in relief and was able to hold the Illini at bay by getting a forceout and a strikeout to end the threat.

Northwestern continued its weekend power surge in the top of the fourth inning as it was able to tie the game. Snieder led off the frame with a solo home run and two batters later, Stevens went yard himself.

Illinois briefly reclaimed the lead in its half of the fourth. With two down, Willie Argo walked and Christian Cummins was hit by a pitch. Argo then stole third, but NU was able to get Cummins hung up between first and second on the play. However, while Cummins was caught in a rundown, Argo managed to beat the throw to the plate to steal home as well.

The '27 Yankees, er, Wildcats kept things going in the top of the fifth inning, though. Kontos socked a leadoff homer to tie the game 3-3. Following a pair of flyouts, Chad Noble singled to right and Snieder then drilled with his second round-tripper of the game and Northwestern's fourth of the contest.

The four longballs tied a team season high (Rutgers, Feb. 27) and gave NU eight in the series after it hit just three in its first 12 Big Ten games.

Zach Morton, who came on pitch to start the fifth, ran into trouble in the sixth as Illinois managed to load the bases with one out. But the sophomore right-hander got a strikeout and a forceout to maintain the Wildcats' two-run lead.

NU would gain a little more breathing room in the top of the seventh as Morton helped his own cause with an RBI double to right-center that plated Snieder from second. Stevens would later score Lashmet from third with a sacrifice fly to put Northwestern up 7-3.

Morton worked a perfect seventh inning before Illinois got a two-out, two-run homer from Willie Argo in the eighth to get the hosts back within a pair of runs. However, Snieder came on in the ninth and worked a 1-2-3 inning to earn his ninth save of the season.

The Wildcats owned a 10-5 advantage in the hit column. Snieder, who scored three runs and drove in three, and Morton collected two hits apiece. Morton was also credited with the win, allowing three hits, two runs and one walk while striking out four in four innings of relief.

Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. Tuesday as it travels to Gary, Ind., to take on Valparaiso at U.S. Steel Yard.

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