Thursday, May 17

Evanston, Ill.

3:30 p.m.

Northwestern

17-30

Belmont

17-36

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Belmont	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	4	13	1
Northwestern	5	0	2	0	1	2	3	0	X	13	14	0

Middle of the Order Powers 'Cats to 13-4 Win Over Belmont

5/17/2018 6:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern's offense exploded for 13 runs on 14 hits to top Belmont, 13-4, Thursday afternoon at Miller Park in the series opener.

Northwestern (17-30) was led by its middle of the order on Thursday. The Wildcats' 2-3-4 hitters went 7-for-8 on the afternoon with three doubles, a triple and a home run to combine for seven RBI and eight runs scored.

Alex Erro finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, a double, home run and two walks. Jack Claeys was perfect on the day reaching base five times with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate and two walks. Claeys tallied a double and a triple with two RBI, while Willie Bourbon 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Charlie Maxwell picked up his third, three-RBI performance of the season two singles, while Ben Dickey had his first multi-RBI (2) game of the year with two singles.

Quinn Lavelle (4-5) was dominant in his final start of the season. The left-hander earned his fourth win of the season by going 7.0 innings and only allowing one run, while striking out four in 26 batters faced.

Sam Lawrence tossed the final two frames for the 'Cats.

Chandler Schultz (1-1) was credited with the loss after earning the start and throwing 3.0 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits.

The Wildcats exploded for five runs in the top of the first inning. With runners on first and second, Bourbon picked up his eighth double to the season to score Erro from third and make it a 1-0 game.

Connor Lind walked in the ensuing bat to set up Maxwell, who smacked a 2-RBI single though the right side and put NU in front, 3-0. A Dickey single two batters later plated a pair of runs to give the Wildcats a 5-0 cushion after their first at-bats.

Claeys led off the bottom of the third with a triple, the first of his career, and Bourbon brought home Claeys in the next at-bat with a single to center. Maxwell picked up his third RBI later in the frame with a single that scored Bourbon and gave NU a 7-0 lead.

Belmont got onto the scoreboard in the top of the fourth with a solo home run.

Northwestern answered back in the bottom of the fifth when Casey O'Laughlin singled through the left side to score Claeys.

The Wildcats added to their 8-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth via a 2-RBI double from Claeys to make it 10-1 ballgame.

Erro blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh over the right field fence. The long ball was Erro's third of the season and put NU ahead, 13-1.

The Bruins plated three runs in the top of the eighth to bring the score to 13-4.