Saturday, April 15
Champaign, Ill.
3 p.m.
Northwestern
13-21, 3-5
11
at
4
Illinois
13-19, 2-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northwestern
3
0
2
5
0
0
0
0
1
11
12
1
Illinois
0
2
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
4
11
1
Northwestern Blasts Illinois to Even Series
4/15/2017 6:31:00 PM | Baseball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Northwestern exploded for 11 runs on 12 hits Saturday afternoon to beat Illinois, 11-4, and even the series.
Northwestern's (13-21, 3-5 B1G) run production came primarily from Joe Hoscheit, Matt Hopfner and Willie Bourbon. Hoscheit went 3-for-5 with four RBI on a grand slam, while Hopfner and Bourbon each went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
On a windy day at Illinois Field, the Wildcats' pitching staff was exceptional. Hank Christie (2-4) recorded the win after starting the game and going 6.0 innings, only allowing three runs, while fanning three and walking one. Sam Lawrence tossed three innings and only allowed one run to earn the save.
The win was Northwestern's first over Illinois since April 26, 2013.
Illinois (13-19, 2-6) tallied 13 hits in the effort, led by Pat McInterney's 3-for-5 performance. Cyrillo Watson earned the loss after pitching 3.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and nine earned runs.
Alex Erro jump started the offense by tallying a lead-off double in the top of the first and Jack Dunn followed with a single and advanced on the throw to put runners on second and third for Hopfner. Hopfner drilled a ball off the center field wall and came around to score on an inside-the-park home run to put NU up, 3-0.
It was Northwestern's first inside-the-park home run since Hoscheit rounded the bases with a hit against LIU-Brooklyn in March of 2014.
Illinois got two runs back in the bottom of the second with RBI singles from Trent Hammond and Jack Yalowitz to cut into the lead, 3-2.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the top of the third, Bourbon hit a two-RBI triple to left center to extend NU's lead to 5-2. The triple was Bourbon's first of the season and third of his career.
The Wildcats busted the game wide open in the top of the fourth with a five-run inning thanks in large part to a grand slam from Hoscheit. Pacioreck was hit by a pitch, before Erro reached on a single and Dunn laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases for Hoscheit. The senior's grand slam was hit to dead center, clearing the 400-foot sign.
With the bases clear, Hopfner tripled to left field and was brought home by Bourbon in the next at-bat for the inning's fifth run.
Christie allowed one more run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo shot from Dan Rowbottom, before being relieved by Sam Lawrence in the bottom of the seventh. The Illini tacked on one off of Lawrence in the bottom of the seventh.
Bourbon singled home Northwestern's final run in the top of the ninth to make it 11-4.
All nine of the Wildcats in the starting lineup reached base in the contest.
Tomorrow's rubber match against Illinois is set for 1 p.m. CT. Freshman Matt Gannon will be on the mound for the Wildcats. Northwestern is looking for its third consecutive series win.
Northwestern's (13-21, 3-5 B1G) run production came primarily from Joe Hoscheit, Matt Hopfner and Willie Bourbon. Hoscheit went 3-for-5 with four RBI on a grand slam, while Hopfner and Bourbon each went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
On a windy day at Illinois Field, the Wildcats' pitching staff was exceptional. Hank Christie (2-4) recorded the win after starting the game and going 6.0 innings, only allowing three runs, while fanning three and walking one. Sam Lawrence tossed three innings and only allowed one run to earn the save.
The win was Northwestern's first over Illinois since April 26, 2013.
Illinois (13-19, 2-6) tallied 13 hits in the effort, led by Pat McInterney's 3-for-5 performance. Cyrillo Watson earned the loss after pitching 3.1 innings, allowing 10 hits and nine earned runs.
Alex Erro jump started the offense by tallying a lead-off double in the top of the first and Jack Dunn followed with a single and advanced on the throw to put runners on second and third for Hopfner. Hopfner drilled a ball off the center field wall and came around to score on an inside-the-park home run to put NU up, 3-0.
It was Northwestern's first inside-the-park home run since Hoscheit rounded the bases with a hit against LIU-Brooklyn in March of 2014.
Illinois got two runs back in the bottom of the second with RBI singles from Trent Hammond and Jack Yalowitz to cut into the lead, 3-2.
With runners on first and second and two outs in the top of the third, Bourbon hit a two-RBI triple to left center to extend NU's lead to 5-2. The triple was Bourbon's first of the season and third of his career.
The Wildcats busted the game wide open in the top of the fourth with a five-run inning thanks in large part to a grand slam from Hoscheit. Pacioreck was hit by a pitch, before Erro reached on a single and Dunn laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases for Hoscheit. The senior's grand slam was hit to dead center, clearing the 400-foot sign.
With the bases clear, Hopfner tripled to left field and was brought home by Bourbon in the next at-bat for the inning's fifth run.
Christie allowed one more run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo shot from Dan Rowbottom, before being relieved by Sam Lawrence in the bottom of the seventh. The Illini tacked on one off of Lawrence in the bottom of the seventh.
Bourbon singled home Northwestern's final run in the top of the ninth to make it 11-4.
All nine of the Wildcats in the starting lineup reached base in the contest.
Tomorrow's rubber match against Illinois is set for 1 p.m. CT. Freshman Matt Gannon will be on the mound for the Wildcats. Northwestern is looking for its third consecutive series win.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Christie, Hank (2-4)
L: Watson, Cyrillo (1-3)
S: Lawrence, Sam (1)
Batting:
2B: Erro, Alex 1
3B: Hopfner, Matt 1 ; Bourbon, Willie 1
HR: Hoscheit, Joe 1 ; Hopfner, Matt 1
RBI: Hoscheit, Joe 4 ; Hopfner, Matt 3 ; Bourbon, Willie 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Erro, Alex 2 ; Dunn, Jack 2 ; Hoscheit, Joe 2 ; Maxwell, Charlie 1 ; Hopfner, Matt 2 ; Lind, Connor 1 ; Paciorek, Nick 1
CS: Dunn, Jack 1 ; Dickey, Ben 1
HBP: Dunn, Jack 2 ; Hopfner, Matt 1 ; Paciorek, Nick 2
Batting:
2B: Massey, Michael 1
HR: Rowbottom, Dan 1
RBI: Yalowitz, Jack 1 ; McInerney, Pat 1 ; Rowbottom, Dan 1 ; Hammond, Trent 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Yalowitz, Jack 1 ; Massey, Michael 1 ; Skonieczny, Mark 1 ; Rowbottom, Dan 1
HBP: Skonieczny, Mark 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball1B/OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
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