Northwestern Splits Doubleheader at Portland

Friday, March 10

Portland, Ore.

5 p.m.

Northwestern

2-10

Portland

2-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northwestern	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1
Portland	0	3	1	0	0	0	1	0	X	5	9	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Northwestern	2	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	6	12	0
Portland	1	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	10	1

Northwestern Splits Doubleheader at Portland

3/11/2017 2:25:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

PORTLAND, Ore. — Northwestern split a doubleheader with Portland on Friday by dropping the first contest, 5-2, before winning the nightcap by a score of 6-4.

Portland's pitching was the story of the day's opener as Grady Miller went seven innings only allowing two runs on four hits a striking out 12 batters. The Pilots gave Miller a three-run lead in the bottom half of the second and that's all he would need.

Northwestern's offense showed a spark in the top of the third when Alex Erro reached base on a fielder's choice and Joe Hoscheit cranked his first home run of the season in the next at bat to chip into the Pilots' lead.

The Wildcats' pitching settled down after the third inning by tossing three consecutive scoreless innings until Portland managed to plate a run in the top of the seventh. Hank Christie made the start for the Wildcats and went 4.2 innings and was responsible for four run. Pete Hofman had a solid outing out of the pen, going 3.0 innings and striking out five batters. Richard Fordon retired the only batter he faced in the game.

Northwestern got the bats going in the second game of the doubleheader and outhit the Pilots, 12-10, in the contest. Matt Hopfner led the way for the Wildcats at the plate by going 3-for-5 with a double and a RBI. Both Alex Erro and Connor Lind tallied a pair of hits and RBI.

The Wildcats went with the trio of Josh Davis, Sam Lawrence and JR Reimer on the mound to lead NU to victory. Each pitcher worked 3.0 innings, while Lawrence's (2H, 0R, 3K) relief appearance led to him picking up the first win of his career and Reimer (2H, 0R, 3K) earned his second save of the season.

Northwestern opened the game up by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first thanks to RBIs from Erro and Hascheit. The Pilots plated a run in the bottom of the first, before eventually taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third.

After begin held scoreless for three innings, Jack Dunn helped manufactor some offense in the top of the fifth when he reached on a single and stole second to get into scoring position for Hopfner, who drove him in with a single to the right side. Jack Claeys' RBI single later in the frame put Northwestern back in front, 5-4.

The Pilots pulled even, 5-5, with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Erro scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning on a passed ball and the #B1GCats received some insurance later in the frame when Lind singled through the right side to put Northwestern in front, 7-5.

Northwestern (3-10) and Portland (2-10) will meet in the rubber match tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT. Freshman Josh Levy is slated to get the start for the Wildcats.