Northwestern
19-22, 0
Washington
24-21, 0
Northwestern Downs Washington 10-4 in Series Finale
4/27/2025 10:31:00 PM | Baseball
The Wildcats (19-22, 9-12 Big Ten) grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first. 3B Owen McElfatrick's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first scored RF Jackson Freeman to put the 'Cats up 1-0. Northwestern doubled its lead on another sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, this time by 2B Jacob Hand to score C Bennett Markinson.'CATS WIN! ?? pic.twitter.com/Nf2YEgxldY
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) April 27, 2025
In the top of the third, SS Ryan Kucherak hit his 12th home run of the season, a two-run blast to left, scoring Freeman to make it 4-0. Kucherak joins Liolios as the only pair of Wildcat teammates to hit 12 home runs each in a single-season since 1992 (Matt Huff and Todd Venezio). Kucherak and Liolios are also the only two Big Ten teammates with 9+ home runs in conference play.
The Huskies (24-21, 13-8 Big Ten) clawed back in the fifth and sixth to trim the deficit to one run. LF AJ Guerrero plated a pair on a two-run single in the top of the fifth, and UW added another in the top of the sixth to make it 4-3.KUCH GOES YARD! ?? pic.twitter.com/qFP7y82RdC
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) April 27, 2025
CF Jack Lausch gave the 'Cats some cushion in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single to extend the Wildcat lead to two.
Northwestern broke the game open with five runs on three hits and four walks in the bottom of the seventh. LF Preston Knott worked a bases-loaded walk, scoring Freeman. Markinson hit the Wildcats third sacrifice fly of the day to plate Kucherak. Lausch recorded another bases-loaded walk, bringing McElfatrick home, and with the bases loaded again, 1B Tyler Ganus singled to center field, scoring DH Trent Liolios and Knott to make it 10-3.
A solo home run in the top of the ninth by Guerrero got one back for Washington, but LHP Crawford Wade retired the next three Huskies to seal the win.
LHP Christian Forniss started off the game with 3.0 shutout innings, allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out one. RHP Matthew Kouser (4-4) tossed 2.1 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits and four walks, striking out two. LHP Crawford Wade earned his third save of the season in 3.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking two, and fanning four.
Game Notes
- Northwestern eclipsed the double-digit mark for the sixth time in 21 Big Ten games.
- Ryan Kucherak went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.
- Kucherak hit his Big Ten-best 10th home run of conference play and 12th of the season.
- Kucherak has logged an RBI in eight of his last nine games.
- Kucherak has homered in three of his last four games.
- Kucherak recorded his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
- Jackson Freeman went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three runs scored.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kouser, Matthew (4-4)
L: Tims,Justin (1-3)
S: Wade, Crawford (3)
Batting:
2B: Terry,Braeden 1
HR: Guerrero,AJ 1
RBI: Guerrero,AJ 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Guerrero,AJ 1 ; Hotchkiss,Jackson 1 ; Kole,Trevor 1 ; Wilson,Blake 1
CS: Taggart,Casen 1
Batting:
2B: Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Knott, Preston 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1
HR: Kucherak, Ryan 1
RBI: Ganus, Tyler 2 ; Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Knott, Preston 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Lausch, Jack 2 ; Hand, Jacob 1
SH: Knott, Preston 1
SF: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Freeman, Jackson 3 ; Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Knott, Preston 2 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Liolios, Trent 1
HBP: Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1
PO: Kucherak, Ryan 1
