April 12, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS -
Northwestern jumped out to an early four-run lead but wasn't able to hold on in dropping its series finale to Minnesota 6-4 Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome.
Northwestern (7-23, 1-7 Big Ten) quickly surged out to a lead, scoring three times in the first on three hits and a pair of Minnesota errors. Tommy Finn opened the game with a single and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Seth Rosin. Jake Goebbert doubled Finn home to give NU a 1-0 lead. Chris Lashmet followed with a single back up the middle and when center fielder Brooks Albrecht's throw back to the infield went into the first base dugout, Goebbert was came in to score and Lashmet was awarded third base. Paul Snieder later followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Wildcats up 3-0.
NU added to its lead in the third, and again it was Snieder getting the job done with a runner on third base and less than two outs. After Lashmet led off the inning with a double, he moved up to third on flyout to right by Tony Vercelli and then trotted home on Snieder's second sac fly in as many plate appearances.
A misplayed flyball that fell in for a one-out hit helped the Golden Gophers get on the board in the bottom of the third as Michael Kvasnicka eventually plated Matt Nohelty from second with a two-out single.
Minnesota (20-10, 6-2) trimmed Northwestern's lead to 4-3 in the fourth with a two-out rally against Joe Muraski. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Kyle Geason singled, Albrecht brought him home with a double and Nohelty added an RBI single.
After the Wildcats tallied four times in the first three innings, Rosin and reliever Austin Lubinsky combined to hold NU scoreless over the next four frames before the Gophers completed their comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Cole Livermore entered in relief of Muraski with two outs and one aboard. Following a jam-job single, Nick O'Shea connected for a three-run homer to give Minnesota a 6-4 advantage.
The Wildcats got the tying runs on base in the top of the eighth but were unable to knot the score prior to going down in order in the ninth.
Lashmet went 3-for-4 at the plate to pace NU and in the last nine contests has collected 19 hits in his last 35 at-bats (.543).
Northwestern returns to action this Wednesday as it takes on Notre Dame at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets cost just $10 and are available at ticketmaster.com or at the U.S. Cellular Field box office.