Northwestern
24-25
Valparaiso
8-39
Wildcats Break Program Single-Season Home Run Record, Defeat Valpo 12-4
5/13/2025 9:10:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern hit three home runs to extend its single-season total to a program-best 68 in its 12-4 victory over Valparaiso on Tuesday afternoon in its regular season home finale at Miller Park.
Valparaiso (8-39, 3-21 MVC) opened the scoring with a solo homer by RF Kevin Denty to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth.'CATS WIN! ?? pic.twitter.com/BRIkA6kHlE
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) May 13, 2025
The Wildcats (24-25, 12-15 Big Ten) scored six unanswered to take a commanding lead. RF Jackson Freeman and CF Jack Lausch slugged a pair of home runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the 'Cats in front 3-1. In the bottom of the sixth, 1B Tyler Ganus recorded an RBI on a fielder's choice and PH Griffin Mills shot a two-run double down the left-field line to extend the Wildcat lead to 6-1.
The Beacons put up three runs in the top of the seventh on four hits and a hit by pitch to trim the Wildcat lead to 6-4, before NU put up six unanswered runs again to put the game out of reach.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ganus notched his second RBI of the day on another fielder's choice, scoring Markinson. 2B Jacob Hand grounded out to second base, scoring Lausch to make it four of his last five games with an RBI.
NU cushioned its lead with four runs in the bottom of the eighth. 3B Owen McElfatrick homered to left field for his ninth long ball of the season. Lausch capped off his stellar day at the plate with a single to score SS Ryan Kucherak. Ganus tallied his third RBI of the game with a single up the middle, scoring Markinson, and Lausch came around to score on a wild pitch.
RHP Matthew Kouser was in the start, retiring all nine batters faced with three punchouts in 3.0 innings pitched. RHP Amar Tsengeg (1-2) earned the win in relief, allowing one run on three hits, striking out one. LHP Christian Forniss tallied his first career save, allowing zero runs on five hits in 3.0 innings pitched, fanning four.
Game Notes
- Northwestern's 24 wins are tied for its most since 2017 (27), matching its win total from 2022 and 2019.
- Wildcat pitching did not issue a walk for the second time this season and first since a 4-1 win at The Citadel on March 9.
- SS Ryan Kucherak and 2B Jacob Hand extended their reached base streaks to 15 games.
- CF Jack Lausch went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, three runs scored, two RBI, and a walk.
- RF Jackson Freeman went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBI, and a walk.
Northwestern wraps up its season with a three-game series at UCLA. First pitch on Thursday is set for 6 p.m. CT, Friday's game is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT, and Sunday's series finale is slated for 3 p.m. CT. All three games are streamed on BTN.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tsengeg, Amar (1-2)
L: Baffa, Nick (0-2)
S: Forniss, Christian (1)
Batting:
2B: Patton, Liam 1 ; Sullivan, Case 1
HR: Denty, Kevin 1
RBI: Denty, Kevin 1 ; Hatch, Bryan 1 ; Sullivan, Case 1 ; Pigeon, Mathew 1
SF: Hatch, Bryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denty, Kevin 1 ; Patton, Liam 1 ; Giusti, Connor 1 ; Ilitch, Patrick 1
HBP: Patton, Liam 1 ; Ilitch, Patrick 1
Batting:
2B: Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Mills, Griffin 1
HR: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Freeman, Jackson 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
RBI: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Freeman, Jackson 2 ; Lausch, Jack 2 ; Ganus, Tyler 3 ; Hand, Jacob 1 ; Mills, Griffin 2
Base Running:
RUNS: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; Freeman, Jackson 2 ; Markinson, Bennett 3 ; Lausch, Jack 3 ; Ganus, Tyler 1
SB: McElfatrick, Owen 1
CS: Lausch, Jack 1
