Northwestern Earns First Win With Young Arms

2/18/2018 5:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Northwestern notched its first win of 2018 on Sunday by defeating Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1, behind two strong first-year performances at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

Quinn Lavelle threw five scoreless innings in his collegiate debut and allowed just three hits while racking up five strikeouts to pick up his first career win. Jack Pagliarini threw 3.2 strong innings of relief, allowing one run while striking out six batters.

Josh Levy recorded the save by earning the game's final out.

Ben Dickey wrapped up an impressive opening series from the leadoff spot with two more hits on Sunday. First year David Dunn led the team with two RBIs and a hit while fellow classmate Jack Kelly knocked in the other run of the game.

The Wildcats moved to 1-2 on the season after the four-game series with the Mavericks was shortened to three because of travel delays.

Lavelle started his Wildcat debut quickly, fanning the first two batters he faced. In the bottom half of the first, Ben Dickey led off with a single and stole his third base of the weekend.

Senior Connor Lind came up with a big double-play defensively to end the top of the third, snaring a line-drive and doubling up the runner at second. In the bottom half of the inning, Northwestern threatened to score after back-to-back singles from Dickey and Jack Dunn put runners on the corners. The 'Cats could not capitalize after Dickey was thrown out at the plate.

The Wildcats finally broke through in the fourth, when Connor Lind walked and then Willie Bourbon smashed a ground rule double to right center for his third extra base hit of the weekend. David Dunn and Jack Kelly both hit grounders for an RBI, and the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead.

Lavelle finished off his outing with a strikeout to end the top of the fifth. Sophomore Alex Erro walked and stole his fourth base of the new season in the bottom half of the frame.

The #B1GCats added an insurance run in the sixth, after Lind led off by lacing a double down the left field line. David Dunn singled up the middle two at bats later to collect his second RBI and push the score to 3-0.

Pagliarini struck out the side in the seventh, and completed a one-two-three eighth inning while notching his fifth strikeout.

The Mavericks rallied in the ninth, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 while putting a runner on third. Pagliarini hit a batter with a pitch and Levy walked another to load the bases with two outs. Tyler Daugherty sent a Levy fastball deep into left field but Kyle Burnett, Jr. tracked down the long fly to end the game.

Chicago's Big Ten Team is back in action next weekend with a three-game series at Kanas, starting on Friday. First pitch against the Jayhakws is set for 3 p.m.