Sunday, February 16
Long Beach, Calif.
1:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
2-1
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at
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Long Beach State
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9
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Northwestern
0
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Long Beach State
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Wildcats Claim Series with 4-3 Win at Long Beach State
2/16/2025 6:14:00 PM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Behind six strong innings in Matthew Kouser's collegiate debut, Northwestern downed Long Beach State 4-3 in Sunday's series finale to claim its first season opening series victory since 2008. Long Beach State's three hits marked the fewest by a Northwestern opponent in a nine-inning game since the Wildcats limited Evansville to just one hit in an 8-1 win on March 20, 2022
The Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) responded to tie the game in the top of the fifth on a solo shot by Ryan Kucherak, his first career home run.
In the top of the seventh with the score knotted at one apiece, a pair of hit by pitches by Ryan Kucherak and Jack Lausch and a walk by Trent Liolios loaded the bases for the top of the order. Preston Knott came through with a sacrifice fly to score Kucherak and put the 'Cats in front by a run. Next batter, Tyler Ganus doubled to left field, scoring Lausch and Liolios to extend the Wildcat to three.
The Dirtbags responded in the bottom of the seventh on Dylan Lina's second hit of the day, a two-RBI single to give him three RBI on the day and cut the Wildcat lead to one, but Blake MacMillan responded to strand a pair and keep the 'Cats in front.
MacMillan worked a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth to preserve the NU lead into the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Sam Hliboki entered from the bullpen. With a runner on first and nobody out, LBSU attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Owen McElfatrick fielded the bunt cleanly and fired to second to cut down the lead runner. Next batter, Hliboki induced a ground ball to Ryan Kucherak at short, who flipped across to Vince Bianchina at second, who fired to first to finish off the double play and the game.
Matthew Kouser (1-0) earned the win in his collegiate debut, allowing just one earned run on two hits, four walks, and a hit batsmen, striking out one in six innings of action.
Sam Hliboki recorded his second save in as many days, recording three outs on six pitches and just two batters faced.
Game Notes
Long Beach State (1-2, 0-0 Big West) got on the board first by way of a solo home run off the bat of Dylan Lina in the bottom of the third.SERIES W ?? pic.twitter.com/j9KAwfLuR0
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) February 16, 2025
The Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) responded to tie the game in the top of the fifth on a solo shot by Ryan Kucherak, his first career home run.
In the top of the seventh with the score knotted at one apiece, a pair of hit by pitches by Ryan Kucherak and Jack Lausch and a walk by Trent Liolios loaded the bases for the top of the order. Preston Knott came through with a sacrifice fly to score Kucherak and put the 'Cats in front by a run. Next batter, Tyler Ganus doubled to left field, scoring Lausch and Liolios to extend the Wildcat to three.
The Dirtbags responded in the bottom of the seventh on Dylan Lina's second hit of the day, a two-RBI single to give him three RBI on the day and cut the Wildcat lead to one, but Blake MacMillan responded to strand a pair and keep the 'Cats in front.
MacMillan worked a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth to preserve the NU lead into the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Sam Hliboki entered from the bullpen. With a runner on first and nobody out, LBSU attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Owen McElfatrick fielded the bunt cleanly and fired to second to cut down the lead runner. Next batter, Hliboki induced a ground ball to Ryan Kucherak at short, who flipped across to Vince Bianchina at second, who fired to first to finish off the double play and the game.
Matthew Kouser (1-0) earned the win in his collegiate debut, allowing just one earned run on two hits, four walks, and a hit batsmen, striking out one in six innings of action.
Sam Hliboki recorded his second save in as many days, recording three outs on six pitches and just two batters faced.
Game Notes
- Long Beach State's three hits marked the fewest by a Northwestern opponent in a nine-inning game since the Wildcats limited Evansville to just one hit in an 8-1 win on March 20, 2022
- Ryan Kucherak went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.
- Kucherak slugged his first career home run.
- Trent Liolios recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.
- Liolios slashed .571/.625/1.429 on the weekend with two homers, four RBI, three runs, and a walk.
- Liolios went 3-for-5 (.600) with runners in scoring position.
- Tyler Ganus continued his phenomenal start, going 2-for-5 with two RBI.
- Ganus went 6-for-11 (.545) on the weekend with a double, five RBI, and three walks.
- Jacob Hand drew a pair of walks in his first start in a Wildcat uniform.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kouser, Matthew (1-0)
L: Geiss, Owen (0-1)
S: Hliboki, Sam (2)
Batting:
2B: Ganus, Tyler 1
HR: Kucherak, Ryan 1
RBI: Knott, Preston 1 ; Ganus, Tyler 2 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1
SH: Hand, Jacob 1
SF: Knott, Preston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Liolios, Trent 1
HBP: Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Briseno, Armando 1
HR: Lina, Dylan 1
RBI: Lina, Dylan 3
SH: Evans, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Charpiot, Connor 1 ; Lina, Dylan 1 ; Ortega, Efren 1
SB: Evans, Jake 1
HBP: Cadena, Nathan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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