MESA, Ariz. — Northwestern and BYU split the Saturday doubleheader at Mesa Park, with Northwestern taking the first game on the back of a sterling pitching performance by junior Sam Lawrence.
 
The Wildcats are back in action tomorrow (Sunday) against Cal at 12 p.m. at the Tempe Diablo Stadium Complex.
 
GAME ONE
Northwestern picked up its first win of the season, a 3-2 defeat of BYU, on Saturday afternoon.
 
Junior Sam Lawrence made his first-career start, tossing 5.0-shutout frames while allowing only two hits and fanning five. The Illinois native picked up the win in the first game of the double-header.
 
The Wildcats did all of their offensive damage in the third inning, starting with an RBI single by first-year Anthony Calarco, who knocked in a run in his first-career RBI. A back-to-back pair of walks by junior Alex Erro and senior Willie Bourbon brought in runs number two and three for NU, giving the 'Cats a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Cougars scratched across two runs spread across the seventh and eighth innings, setting up a one-run ninth inning.
 
Junior Nick Paciorek came in to seal the game and went 1-2-3, earning his first-career save.
 
GAME TWO
An explosive, six-run fourth inning led BYU to an 11-2 victory over Northwestern in the night-cap of the Sunday doubleheader.
 
Despite the sizable scoring output for the Cougars, Wildcat pitchers limited the BYU offense to zero runs and three hits from the fifth inning on. First-years Parker Hanks and Tommy D'Alise combined for 3.0-scoreless frames to finish the game in their respective collegiate debuts.
 
Junior Alex Erro slugged the first Wildcat home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning. He finished 2-for-4 in the game and extended his hitting streak to 17-straight games.
 
First-year Anthony Calarco reached base three times in the contest, with a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch.  
 
OF NOTE:

• Eight Wildcats reached base in game one … Willie Bourbon reached twice, both walks … Michael Trautwein also reached twice, a hit and a walk.
• Alex Erro went 1-for-3 in the first game, extending his hitting streak to 16-straight … He went 2-for-4 in the nightcap to get it to 17-straight.
• Jack Dunn went 1-for-4 in the first game, extending his on-base streak to 28-straight games … He again went 1-for-4 in the second game, lengthening the skein to 29-straight.
• Ben Dickey and Alex Erro both stole a base in game one … Dickey's swiped bag was his second of the season.
• Jack Anderson made his debut in the second contest … Michael Doherty, Parker Hanks, and Tommy D'Alise all made their debuts on the bump in the second contest of the day.

 

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