Northwestern 3, Penn State 2
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April 22, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- With the game tied at 2-2 and one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Northwestern freshman Tommy Finn (Valparaiso, Ind./Andrean) slapped a single down the right field line to score junior Geoff Dietz (Lake Zurich, Ill/Lake Zurich) from second base. Dietz slid in safe, beating the throw from right field by a step and was immediately mobbed by a group of Wildcats waiting for him at the plate. Until Finn's hit, all four runs scored in the game were from solo homeruns.
Lost in the game's offensive excitement was two stellar pitching performances from Northwestern's junior lefty Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) and Penn State's Mark Wyner.
Wyner began the day by baffling the NU batters. After he retired the first five Wildcats batters, including four by strike out, senior outfielder Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) waited for a fastball and drove the first pitch he saw over the fence to dead center field, giving the 'Cats a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
Each pitcher kept the opposing offenses at bay for the next three innings, but the Nittany Lions tied the game in the top of the sixth when Scott Gummo took a Brauer fastball over the right field fence, tying the game at 1-1.
The round-tripper didn't phase Brauer, however, as he worked his way out of a jam. The next two Nittany Lion batters reached on errors, but Brauer buckled down and struck out Cory Wine looking to end the inning.
Antonio Mule (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) quickly claimed the lead for NU in the bottom half of the inning as he swung on the first offering from Wyner and sent it sailing over the center field wall. The homer was his sixth of the season and gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
The Wildcats' lead was relinquished in the next half inning, however, as PSU's Aaron Greenfield knocked a homerun - the fourth of the game - to left field, tying the score 2-2.
The Lions' Travis Laird then reached on a single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. With a man in scoring position, Matt Cavagnero rocketed a shot to right-center field, but Mule got on his horse and made a spectacular running catch that ended the threat and saved the Wildcats a run.
Not to be outdone in terms of late-game heroics, Northwestern knew what it had to do in the bottom of the seventh.
After Brauer struck out to start the inning, Dietz advanced to first with a single, his second hit of the day. After he made it to second on a wild pitch, Finn knocked a hit down the right field line.
Dietz never hesitated as he rounded third and beat the throw from PSU's Brian Ernst to score the game winner.
For the game, Dietz led the Wildcats with two hits.
On the mound, Brauer improved his record to 4-1 this season with his seven-inning, six-hit, eight-strikeout performance.
Wyner had an impressive day as well, striking out eight Wildcats in six innings worth of work.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 13-21 on the year, 10-4 in the Big Ten.
Northwestern returns to action later today in the second game of the doubleheader.