March 29, 2003
Ohio State Box Score in PDF Format
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Northwestern wrapped up its 10-day spring break trip with a 13-4 win over Ohio State, Saturday afternoon in Bradenton. Picked to finish eighth in the Big Ten Conference, NU split the four-game series with the preseason favorite Buckeyes. The win improves the Wildcats to 9-9 overall, 2-2 in the conference. Ohio State falls to 11-8, 2-2.
After going down in order in the first, Northwestern batted around in the second, scoring seven runs on five hits. The Wildcats took advantage of three Buckeye errors in the inning.
In the inning, catcher Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) reached on OSU's first error of the inning and quickly rounded the bases on Jon Mikrut's (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) RBI double to the left center-field wall. Designated hitter Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) stepped to the plate and hit an RBI single to right, scoring Mikrut from second. Ori was quickly cut down trying to steal second on a failed hit-and-run attempt. Buckeye starter, Scott Lewis, struck out Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) for the second out of the inning, but NU wasn't done yet. Senior first baseman Travis Tharp (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) walked and third baseman Mike Phelps (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) reached on a Lewis throwing error as Tharp advanced to third and Phelps to second. With runners on second and third and two outs, second-baseman Eric Roeder (Onsted, Mich./Onsted) hit his second home run in as many games, giving NU a 5-0 lead. Roeder was followed by another Buckeye miscue, giving David Gresky (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) life on the base paths. The error proved costly again as left-fielder Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) hit his third home run of the season, making the score 7-0. Mikrut popped out to third to end the inning.
The Buckeyes didn't stay down long as they plated three runs in the top of the third to stay in striking distance. Starting Wildcat pitcher Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) was his own worst enemy in the inning. The freshman from Illinois walked two OSU hitters and was called for a balk, putting runners in scoring position. OSU did have two timely hits to drive in the three runs.
NU answered the Buckeye rally in the bottom half of the third, plating four runs to take an 11-3 lead. Ori led off with a walk and moved to second on an Ackley single to left. Following an OSU pitching change, Tharp dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to third base advancing both runners 90-feet. With one out and runners on second and third, Phelps drove in his first two runs of the season with a single to right-center. Phelps advanced to second on the throw to the plate, went to third on Roeder's attempted bunt-single and eventually scored on Gresky's double down the right-field line.
NU extended its lead to 13-3 when Roeder and Gresky each hit RBI doubles. Phelps, who reached on another Buckeye miscue, scored on Roeder's hit and Roeder rounded the bases on Gresky's second double of the game.
Sophomore Stanley Finch (Lubbock, Texas/Cooper) relieved Brauer in the top of the seventh, giving up one run in one-plus innings pitched. Sophomore Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) took over for Finch in the eighth, giving up one hit in one inning of work.
Mikrut, who hit .429 (6-for-14) in the series, threw the ninth, giving up one hit and walking one.
NU is next in action when it travels to East Lansing, Mich., for a four-game Big Ten series against Michigan State. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m., Friday April 4.