March 30, 2011
Box Score
Photo Gallery
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Rocky Miller Park)
Score: Valparaiso 5, Northwestern 2
Records: NU (7-14), Valparaiso (4-19)
Next NU Event: Friday, April 1 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 5:35 p.m. CT
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Paul Snieder collected three hits, but the rest of the Northwestern lineup struggled to get its offense untracked as the Wildcats dropped their home opener to Valparaiso 5-2 Wednesday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park.
"We had a few hiccups out there today, but we'll work on them and we'll get ready for our Big Ten opener at Ohio State on Friday," Northwestern head coach Paul Stevens said.
NU continued its trend of getting on the board early as it touched Valpo starter Jon Gulbransen for a run in the bottom of the first inning. Kyle Ruchim drew a one-out walk and was at third with two outs when Snieder singled through the right side to give the Wildcats the lead.
Northwestern starter Jack Havey battled command issues in the second inning as a hit batter, a walk and a single loaded the bases with one out. Havey got Michael Morman to ground to Ruchim at short, but the ball was hit a little too softly for the Wildcats to turn two as the fielder's choice tied the game.
The decisive frame of the contest was the top of the fourth inning. A single followed by a double with one out put two in scoring position for the Crusaders. Havey got Morman to ground back to the mound for the second out as both runners were forced to hold. However, No. 9 hitter Andrew Bain, who came into the contest batting .136 on the season drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases before Kyle Gaedele emptied them with a three-run double to straight-away center.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats had little luck against Gulbransen after the opening inning. NU got runners into scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings and got a one-out single in the seventh but was unable to trim the three-run deficit.
After Michael Jahns hurled two perfect innings of relief, the Crusaders tacked on an insurance run against Jack Quigley in the the seventh. Again, a walk to Bain, who led off the inning, came back to haunt the 'Cats as Chris Manning brought him home with a two-out single.
Mike Jacobs replaced Gulbransen to Northwestern's delight to open the eighth and Trevor Stevens was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Stevens would move to second on a passed ball, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to get NU back within three at 5-2.
The Wildcats mounted one final rally in the ninth as a two-out double by Jake Straub preceded Geoff Rowan reaching on a throwing error to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Karch Kowalczyk got pinch hitter Hamilton Wise to ground out on the first offering he saw to end the game.
Northwestern returns to action at 5:35 p.m. Central time Friday as it opens Big Ten play and a three-game series at Ohio State.
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