Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
7-9, 0
Illinois
13-5, 0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Northwestern Rallies, Illinois Sneaks Out 5-4 Victory
3/23/2018 6:21:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Alex Erro had two hits and a pair of RBI while Quinn Lavelle threw a quality start, but the Wildcats' rally fell short, and Northwestern lost the series opener to Illinois, 5-4.
Northwestern (7-9, 0-1 B1G) had seven players reach base, while limiting Illinois to just two hits over the final five innings.
Quinn Lavelle had a strong performance on the mound, striking out a pair over 6.1 innings, while allowing just three runs on six hits.
Charlie Maxwell tallied a RBI-double and added a stolen base.
With a strong wind blowing out to right, Illinois took a lead 2-0 on a pair of second-inning home runs.
Northwestern scratched right back, as Willie Bourbon and Jack Claeys both got on in the second inning. Maxwell roped a ball into the left field gap, scoring Bourbon before Claeys was called out on a close play at home.
Illinois added a run in the third, and again in the seventh, but the damage was limited in the seventh when Tommy Bordignon worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam.
The game repeated itself in the eighth inning, with Matt Gannon coming on and allowing one run while working his way out of a bases-loaded jam. Gannon finished the day with two scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out one.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, it was Northwestern's turn to load the bases. Kyle Burnett Jr., walked, Ben Dickey singled, and Jack Dunn walked to start the inning. Erro laced a drive into left field for a single, scoring a pair and advancing Dunn to third. Bourbon hit a big fly to right, but the wind had died down as the game progressed, and the right fielder caught it with his back against the wall. Dunn still scored on the sacrifice fly, pulling the Wildcats to within one at 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Leo Kaplan legged out an infield single, but Northwestern could do no more damage, falling 5-4.
The Wildcats return to action against Illinois with a 2 p.m. CT start tomorrow Saturday, March 26, before wrapping up the homestand on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Snarskis, Quinn (3-0)
L: Lavelle, Quinn (2-2)
S: Gerber, Joey (5)
Batting:
2B: Van Scoy, Grant 1
HR: Spillane, Bren 1 ; Massey, Michael 1
RBI: Troike, Ben 1 ; Yalowitz, Jack 1 ; Spillane, Bren 1 ; Massey, Michael 1 ; Michalak, Michael 1
SH: Troike, Ben 1
SF: Michalak, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Spillane, Bren 2 ; Massey, Michael 1 ; Michalak, Michael 1 ; Van Scoy, Grant 1
SB: Spillane, Bren 2 ; Turchin, Doran 1
CS: Yalowitz, Jack 1 ; Turchin, Doran 1 ; Craan, David 1
HBP: Craan, David 1
Batting:
2B: Maxwell, Charlie 1
RBI: Erro, Alex 2 ; Bourbon, Willie 1 ; Maxwell, Charlie 1
SF: Bourbon, Willie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dickey, Ben 1 ; Dunn, Jack 1 ; Bourbon, Willie 1 ; Burnett, Jr., Kyle 1
SB: Maxwell, Charlie 1
