March 3, 2006
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Northwestern's baseball team dropped the series opener at Kentucky 19-3 Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky. NU had six errors in Paul Stevens' 1,000th game as head coach. The two teams will play game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 2 p.m. (ET).
Kentucky jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, using a pair of hits and a base-on-balls off Northwestern starter Ryan Myers (Lake Villa, Ill./Carmel).
Myers found more trouble in the second inning as a pair of two-out home runs made the score 6-0 in favor of Kentucky. Two, two-out singles were followed by a three-run homer, which preceded a solo shot for the Kentucky runs.
Northwestern responded with three runs in the top of the third inning, touching Kentucky starter Craig Snipp for four hits. Designated hitter Antonio Mule (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) got things started with a bases-loaded, two-run single to right. Third baseman Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) and centerfielder Aaron Newman (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) scored on Mule's hit. Fields singled and Newman walked. Second baseman Jake Owens (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) scored from third when Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel) laced a single to center. Owens hit his second single of the game to reach base and advanced to third on Mule's hit.
UK answered with three runs of its own, taking a 9-3 lead after three complete innings. Kentucky had four hits in the inning.
UK scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 12-3 lead. Following NU's second error of the inning, Stevens called junior right-hander Bobby Ferla (Waldwick, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) to end the inning. Ferla did just that, striking out the final out.
Neither team found the scoring column until Kentucky scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ferla, who relieved Myers in the fourth inning, was lifted for lefty Chris Davidson (Huntington Woods, Mich./Berkley). Davidson gave up an RBI single before a foul out to third and two outfield fly balls ended the inning.
Kentucky plated three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Junior lefty Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) will take the mound for Northwestern tomorrow. Game time is set for 2 p.m. (ET)