Friday, April 15
Evanston, Ill.
3 p.m.
Northwestern
9-25, 0
2
vs
4
Penn State
20-14, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Nittany Lions
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
4
10
3
Northwestern
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
4
0
Mason Keeps It Close, 'Cats Fall to Penn State, 4-2
4/15/2016 6:32:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern put a runner on base in each of the first eight innings, but couldn't bring enough around to score to defeat Penn State, falling 4-2 at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park on Friday afternoon.
The loss moves Northwestern to 9-25 (2-8 B1G), while Penn State advances to 20-14 (6-4 B1G).
Reed Mason (2-4) started on the mound for the Wildcats. The southpaw struck out the first batter of the game and got out of the first inning unscathed. In the second inning, Mason allowed a two-run home run to Willie Burger to put Penn State in front, 2-0.
Berger finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.
Mason would dominate the next five innings, ending with 7.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts, allowing just seven hits and three runs.
The Wildcats were able to chase Penn State starter Taylor Lehman after just 4.1 innings, collecting four hits and three walks off the lefty.
Mat Jones ripped a grounder to third base to start off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a throwing error.
With M. Jones on third and one away, Matt Hopfner singled up the middle to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Jack Dunn and Hopfner walked to start the bottom of the seventh and went for the double steal. Penn State's Nick Graham airmailed the throw down to third base to allow Dunn to come home and tie the game at 2-2.
Mack Rosman came into relieve Mason in the top of the eighth with one away and a runner on third. Rosman got his man to fly out, but the ball was deep enough to bring home a run and the Nittany Lions reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
The Nittany Lions added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to make the final 4-2.
Northwestern and Penn State will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series at 2 p.m. Dan Kubiuk is slated to make his seventh start of the season for the 'Cats.
The loss moves Northwestern to 9-25 (2-8 B1G), while Penn State advances to 20-14 (6-4 B1G).
Reed Mason (2-4) started on the mound for the Wildcats. The southpaw struck out the first batter of the game and got out of the first inning unscathed. In the second inning, Mason allowed a two-run home run to Willie Burger to put Penn State in front, 2-0.
Berger finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.
Mason would dominate the next five innings, ending with 7.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts, allowing just seven hits and three runs.
The Wildcats were able to chase Penn State starter Taylor Lehman after just 4.1 innings, collecting four hits and three walks off the lefty.
Mat Jones ripped a grounder to third base to start off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a throwing error.
With M. Jones on third and one away, Matt Hopfner singled up the middle to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Jack Dunn and Hopfner walked to start the bottom of the seventh and went for the double steal. Penn State's Nick Graham airmailed the throw down to third base to allow Dunn to come home and tie the game at 2-2.
Mack Rosman came into relieve Mason in the top of the eighth with one away and a runner on third. Rosman got his man to fly out, but the ball was deep enough to bring home a run and the Nittany Lions reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
The Nittany Lions added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to make the final 4-2.
Northwestern and Penn State will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for game two of the series at 2 p.m. Dan Kubiuk is slated to make his seventh start of the season for the 'Cats.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Anderson, Jack (4-1)
L: Mason, Reed (2-4)
Batting:
2B: Graham, Nick 1
HR: Burger, Willie 1
RBI: Haley, Jim 1 ; Burger, Willie 2 ; Bowersox, Jordan 1
SH: Riotto, Nick 1
SF: Haley, Jim 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kendall, Tyler 1 ; Burger, Willie 1 ; Coates, James 1 ; Graham, Nick 1
SB: Coates, James 1 ; Bowersox, Jordan 1
CS: Haley, Jim 1 ; Guers, Greg 1
Batting:
RBI: Hopfner, Matt 1
SH: Dickey, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dunn, Jack 1 ; Jones, Mat 1
SB: Dunn, Jack 1 ; Hopfner, Matt 1 ; Dickey, Ben 1 ; Peikert, Grant 1
HBP: Claeys, Jack 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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