Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
1-5
#12 Duke
7-0
'Cats Fall in Series Finale at No. 12 Duke
2/25/2024 3:11:00 PM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – No. 12 Duke defeated Northwestern 20-9 in the series finale on Sunday, February 25 at Jack Coombs Field.
Northwestern (1-5) grabbed the early lead again, this time on a two-run home run to left field by Owen McElfatrick in the top of the first. The 'Cats added on in the second inning when Trent Liolios drove in Lorenzo Rios on a groundout to the second baseman to give NU a 3-0 edge.
Duke (7-0) responded in the bottom half of the second with four runs, added two in the third, eight in the fifth, and six in the sixth.OMAC JACK! ?? pic.twitter.com/0gBT9FnsGH
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) February 25, 2024
The 'Cats pushed 6 runs across in the top of the ninth. Drewbie Pinkston logged his first hit of the 2024 campaign with an RBI double off the right field wall, bringing McElfatrick home. Griffin Mills recorded his first collegiate RBI with a bases-loaded walk to plate Bennett Markinson.
Garrett Shearer is credited the loss, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits in four innings of work.
Kyle Johnson earns the win for the Blue Devils after striking out five and allowing just one hit in three scoreless innings.
- NU scored in the first inning for the fourth time in six games.
- Owen McElfatrick slugged his first home run of the season and fifth of his career.
- Bennett Markinson extended his season-opening hit streak to six games.
- Preston Knott tallied his first RBI in a Wildcat uniform on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.
- Marty Kaplan drove in two runs on his first hit of the 2024 season.
The Wildcats are back in action on Tuesday for their home opener against Illinois State at 2:30 p.m. CT at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnson, Kyle (2-0)
L: Shearer, Garrett (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Pinkston, Drewbie 1 ; Rios, Lorenzo 1
HR: McElfatrick, Owen 1
RBI: Kaplan, Marty 2 ; Liolios, Trent 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 2 ; Pinkston, Drewbie 1 ; Mills, Griffin 1 ; Rios, Lorenzo 1 ; Knott, Preston 1
SH: Ganus, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Liolios, Trent 1 ; McElfatrick, Owen 2 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Pinkston, Drewbie 1 ; Selfon, Zach 1 ; Mills, Griffin 1 ; Rios, Lorenzo 2
HBP: Pinkston, Drewbie 1 ; Mills, Griffin 1 ; Rios, Lorenzo 1
Batting:
2B: Bravo, Logan 1 ; Obee, Devin 1
HR: Stone, Alex 1 ; Winslow, Macon 1
RBI: Morris, Zac 2 ; Miller, Ben 2 ; Stone, Alex 4 ; Yu, Andrew 1 ; Bravo, Logan 2 ; Obee, Devin 3 ; Winslow, Macon 2 ; Knight, Chad 1 ; Clark, Wallace 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morris, Zac 2 ; Miller, Ben 1 ; Stone, Alex 1 ; Yu, Andrew 1 ; Bravo, Logan 2 ; Gracia, AJ 3 ; Obee, Devin 3 ; Winslow, Macon 3 ; Krewson, Chase 1 ; Clark, Wallace 3
SB: Obee, Devin 1
HBP: Miller, Ben 1 ; Yu, Andrew 1 ; Clark, Wallace 2
