May 14, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Playing its third game in less than 24 hours, Northwestern's baseball team continued to find ways to win, upending Illinois-Chicago 4-3. On a perfect day for baseball, the Wildcats used a four-run sixth inning as their lone source of offense, holding off several UIC threats. NU improves to 22-25 overall and 8-6 at Rocky Miller Park.
Starting pitcher Andy Adams (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) pitched the first five innings, giving up all three UIC runs. Adams left the game after the fifth, trailing 3-0. Sophomore pitcher Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) threw the next two innings, giving up two hits, striking out two, while picking up his third win of the season. Pohlman gave way to freshman Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel), who started the game at shortstop. Mikrut pitched the final two innings, striking out the final hitter of the game for his third save in six appearances. Mikrut is 3-for-3 in save opportunities.
In the bottom of the sixth, Northwestern greeted UIC's fourth pitcher of the game with four straight hits, including a double. Second baseman Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) got things started with a lead off single through the right side and advanced to second on left fielder Steve Haake's (Belleville, Ill./Gibault) hit-and-run single between first and second. Center fielder David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) was up next smacking the first of two doubles down the right field line, scoring Roeder from second. With runners on second and third and no outs and the score 3-1, right fielder Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) hit a single to left field, adding another Wildcat run. First baseman Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) followed Ackley, hitting into a double play, allowing Gresky to score from third and tying the game at 3-3.
With two outs and the bases empty, designated hitter Todd Morgan (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka) got things restarted with a base on balls. After a Flames pitching change, pinch-hitter Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) earned a free pass, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Freshman Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel), who replaced Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) at catcher, singled through the left side, giving NU a 4-3 lead and the eventual winning run.
Although the Wildcats were playing out of conference, all eyes were on the outcome of Tuesday night's conference games in Bloomington, Ind. The Purdue Boilermakers and Indiana Hoosiers played a make-up doubleheader from last weekend. Purdue started the day in seventh place while Indiana was sixth. Indiana swept the doubleheader, giving them a 13-12 conference record and moving them into a tie for third while Purdue falls to eighth with a 12-16 mark.
IU's doubleheader sweep drops NU one place to sixth in the Big Ten standings with just one weekend remaining to play. NU faces off against Indiana at home this weekend, with game one of a four-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
For updated Big Ten baseball standings, log on to www.bigten.org.