May 10, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's baseball team dropped Game One of a four-game conference series to the Michigan Wolverines, 14-6, at NU's Rocky Miller Park Friday afternoon. Michigan jumped out early, scoring three first inning runs and never looking back, out-hitting the Wildcats 19-8.
In the top of the first, the Michigan offense jumped all over Wildcat starter Zach Schara, (Madison, Wis./West) scoring three runs on four hits. All three runs were courtesy of catcher Jake Fox's three run home run to centerfield.
The Wolverines came right back with three more in the third, stringing together four hits, including two doubles making the score 6-0 Michigan.
NU answered in the bottom half, plating four runs on three hits and taking advantage of a Wolverine error. Freshman Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) started the rally as Michigan starter Bobby Korecky hit Mikrut with a pitch. Second baseman Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) followed with a single to center putting runners on first and second with one out. After a pop out to the shortstop, center fielder David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) walked to load the bases. Right fielder Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was up next and quickly lined a single to center, scoring two runs, and advancing to second when Michigan's left fielder misplayed the ball, putting runners on second and third with two outs. First baseman Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) stepped to the plate and crushed his first of two doubles to the right centerfield fence, driving in Ackley and Gresky, bringing NU within two at 6-4.
Michigan came right back, extending its lead to three when center fielder Blake Rutkowski hit the Wolverines second home run of the game to just left of dead center, making the score 7-4 Michigan. In the inning, Schara struck out Jake Fox for the first out, eclipsing Grady Hall's career strikeout record of 273. Schara finished the game with seven Ks, giving him sole possession of the strikeout record at Northwestern with 275 punch-outs.
One inning later, NU pulled to within one (7-6) as Ackley got things started with a two out walk. Tharp stepped up and delivered his second double of the game down the right field line, putting runners on second and third with two outs. Designated hitter Jason Krynski (Niles, Ill./Niles West) was up next, smacking a single to center driving in both Ackley and Tharp.
Schara couldn't keep the Wolverines down as they scored two more in the top of the sixth, making the score 9-6. The runs came courtesy of another Wolverine round-tripper, compliments of No. 3 hitter Brock Koman.
A scary moment for Wildcat relief pitcher Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) in the top of the eighth inning as Koman hit a line drive directly off Blesoff's head. After telling head coach Paul Stevens he was fine, Blesoff was taken out of the game, which he did under his own control and was taken to the hospital to take some precautionary tests. The line drive was ruled a ground-rule double, as the ball left the playing field after hitting Blesoff.
U-of-M would go on to score five more runs off five different Wildcat pitchers in the final two innings, dropping NU to 19-25 overall and 10-13 in the Big Ten. Michigan improves to 17-28, 11-14 in league play.
Offensively, third baseman Steve Haake (Belleville, Ill./Gibault), Tharp and Krynski each had two hits while Ackley, Tharp and Krynski each drove in two runs. Ackley also scored two runs.
The two teams are next in action tomorrow, playing two seven-inning games, beginning at 1 p.m.