Northwestern 5, Penn State 4
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April 22, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second time today, Northwestern's "Cardiac 'Cats" fought back with their backs against the wall and earned a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to claim a win. In game two of NU's Saturday doubleheader with Penn State, the Wildcats used a four-run seventh inning to take a 5-4 victory over the Nittany Lions at Rocky Miller Park. With the bases loaded and one out, sophomore outfielder Antonio Mule (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) hit a bases-clearing double to tie the score, before junior Caleb Fields (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) knocked in the game-winning run with a single to right field.
It was all Penn State, however, before the late-inning excitement from the Wildcats.
PSU had its offense working early as it scored two first-inning runs. Nittany Lion junior Matt Cavagnaro began the rally with a double down the right-field line. After the next batter reached by being hit by the pitch, Lance Thompson singled to center field, scoring Cavagnaro. Jim Leitgeb then singled to right field, scoring Scott Gummo.
Despite the early runs, the Wildcats' starting pitcher George Kontos (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) settled down a bit at this point and retired the next five Lion batters.
Penn State struck again in the top of the third inning as Thompson took a Kontos pitch deep to left field for a two-run homer, giving Penn State a 4-0 lead.
Northwestern finally got the bats sounding in the bottom of the inning as junior Geoff Dietz (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) started the inning with a single and then stole second to move into scoring position. Two batters later, senior Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel) singled to right field, scoring Dietz and cutting PSU's lead to 4-1.
Kontos took the mound in the top of the fourth determined not to let the Nittany Lions extend their lead. Kontos was in a groove in the late innings, retiring 12 out of the final 16 batters he faced, including three strikeouts.
Despite their best efforts, the Wildcats had trouble generating offense versus Penn State's starter, Seth Whitehill. The sophomore right-hander had a six-inning, seven-hit performance with just two runs earned.
Down 4-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh, Northwestern needed a shot in the arm offensively to get things going. For the second-straight day head coach Paul Stevens made good use of his bench with pinch hitting. Sophomore Aaron Newman (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) began the inning with a pinch-hit triple that trickled down into the right field corner.
With a new sense of energy that swept through the crowd and a renewed sense of hope in the Wildcat dugout, Penn State brought in sophomore closer Gary Amato to try and seal the deal - a move that would prove invaluable for the Wildcats.
Amato walked two of the first three batters he faced, loading the bases for the Wildcats. Mule then blasted a double to right field, clearing the bases and tying the game for the Wildcats.
After Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) was intentionally walked to give the Nittany Lions a force at third, Fields knocked a single through the right side of the infield.
Mule never flinched as he rounded third. The throw from the right fielder was on the money, but Mule slid in before the Penn State catcher could apply the tag, giving the Wildcats' their second walk-off single in as many games.
For the game, McMahon led all Wildcat hitters by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Fields went 2-for-4 with an RBI as well.
Kontos had a solid outing on the mound, throwing a complete game and allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out eight.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 14-21 overall this season, 11-4 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats are now tied with Michigan for the lead in the conference standings.
Northwestern tries to take three of four from the Lions with an afternoon game beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 23, at Rocky Miller Park.