March 25, 2009
Box Score
MANHATTAN, Kan. -
Northwestern jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings but host Kansas State rallied back late for the second night in a row to top the Wildcats 12-8 in the finale of a two-game series Wednesday evening.
The contest was NU's final tuneup prior to opening Big Ten play at home against Purdue this Friday.
Northwestern (4-16) appeared to be in complete control through the opening third of the game, scoring once in the first, twice in the second and four times in the third to surge out to a seven-run cushion.
NU started the scoring with a two-out RBI single by Chris Lashmet that plated Jake Goebbert. The advantage grew to 3-0 in the second as Quentin Williams hit his first collegiate home run with two away. The rally continued as the vistors manufactured a run with Trevor Stevens singling, advancing to second on a wild pitch, stealing third and then coming in to score on a single to right by Tommy Finn.
The Wildcats continued to play longball in the third with Tony Vercelli opening the inning with a round-tripper. Lashmet then singled and raced all the way around on a double by red-hot Chad Noble. Following a pitching change and a sacrifice bunt, Paul Snieder went deep and suddenly Northwestern found itself comfortably ahead 7-0.
Meanwhile, freshman hurler Michael Jahns was mowing through the Kansas State (20-5) hitters. After stranding runners at second and third in the first inning, he retired the other Wildcats in order in the ensuing two frames.
With the start of the conference season right around the corner and at the tail end of a lengthy road trip, Jahns was removed from the game after hitting a batter and allowing a single to open the fourth. Matt Diedrich entered in relief, but Kansas State was able to tally four runs, including three with two outs and following an error, to get right back in the contest.
Two more runs in the fifth got K-State to within 7-6 before Northwestern got one back in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout by Goebbert.
However, single tallies by Kansas State in the sixth and seventh preceeded a decisive four-run rally in the bottom of the eighth to account for the final margin.
Each team finished the game with 12 hits with Noble pacing NU with three and Lashmet and Stevens adding two apiece.