Northwestern
25-25, 13-15
#14 UCLA
37-15, 20-8
Northwestern Knocks Off No. 14 UCLA, 9-4 in Series Opener
5/16/2025 12:39:00 AM | Baseball
Northwestern (25-25, 13-15 Big Ten) has won 25 games for the first time since 2017 and moved into a tie for 11th place in the Big Ten.
SS Ryan Kucherak slugged a pair of home runs for his second straight multi-homer game in Big Ten play, totaling 17 on the season and putting him in front of teammate Trent Liolios for most in a single-season in school history.TOP 15 TAKEDOWN! ?? pic.twitter.com/mBtPbyP565
— Northwestern Baseball (@NUCatsBaseball) May 16, 2025
Kucherak opened up the scoring in the top of the first with a two-run home run to right-center, scoring 3B Owen McElfatrick to put the 'Cats in front, 2-0.
Two innings later, Kucherak homered again, a solo homer to right field to tack on to the lead. Next batter, C Bennett Markinson followed that up with a solo shot of his own to stretch the Wildcat lead to four.
UCLA (37-15, 20-8 Big Ten) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI double by CF Payton Brennan, scoring 3B Roman Martin to trim the lead to 4-1.
CF Jack Lausch homered for the third straight game, a two-run blast over UCLA's hitting facility in right field to extend the Wildcat lead to 6-1.
The Bruins plated three in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run home run by SS Roch Cholowsky, cutting the gap to 6-4.
NU tallied three runs in the top of the ninth to extend its lead to 9-4. Markinson scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to three. 2B Jacob Hand added on with an RBI single to score LF Preston Knott, and PH Marty Kaplan brought home 1B Tyler Ganus to give the Wildcats a five-run lead into the bottom of the ninth.
LHP Crawford Wade slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season, working 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning four. RHP Sam Hliboki (4-3) earned the win in his return to his hometown, allowing four runs in 6.1 innings on seven hits, walking one and striking out five.
Game NotesThe 'Cats top No. 15 UCLA, 9-4 ??
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 16, 2025
This is @NUCatsBaseball's first victory against a ranked opponent since their 7-4 win over No. 23 Maryland on April 30, 2022 #B1GBaseball pic.twitter.com/7Xh3eV0SN1
- Northwestern has won three straight and five of its last six series openers.
- SS Ryan Kucherak went three-for-three with two home runs a double, and a walk, driving in three runs and scoring two.
- Kucherak logged his fourth multi-homer game of the season and second straight in Big Ten play.
- CF Jack Lausch went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored.
- Lausch tallied his sixth home run of the season.
- LHP Crawford Wade tallied his fifth save of the season, most by a Wildcat pitcher since Tommy Bordignon in 2018 (five).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hliboki, Sam (4-3)
L: May, Ian (6-3)
S: Wade, Crawford (6)
Batting:
2B: Kucherak, Ryan 1 ; Knott, Preston 1
HR: Kucherak, Ryan 2 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Lausch, Jack 1
RBI: Kucherak, Ryan 3 ; Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Lausch, Jack 2 ; Hand, Jacob 1 ; Kaplan, Marty 1
SH: Hand, Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McElfatrick, Owen 1 ; Kucherak, Ryan 3 ; Markinson, Bennett 2 ; Lausch, Jack 1 ; Knott, Preston 1 ; Ganus, Tyler 1
SB: Ganus, Tyler 1
CS: Kucherak, Ryan 1
HBP: Markinson, Bennett 1 ; Hand, Jacob 1
PO: Kucherak, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Salgado, AJ 1 ; Brennan, Payton 1
HR: Cholowsky, Roch 1
RBI: Cholowsky, Roch 3 ; Brennan, Payton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1 ; Call, Phoenix 1
HBP: Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Martin, Roman 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1 ; Call, Phoenix 2
