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Northwestern 9, Michigan 8 Wilpon Complex | Ann Arbor, Mich. Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML) |
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Freshman Connor Lind went 2-for-3 with two runs and just as many RBI as Northwestern edged past Michigan, 9-8, to even the series on Saturday afternoon at Gilpon Complex.
Sophomore RJ Watters and fifth-year senior Scott Heelan combined for four runs on four hits with two RBI, while junior Zach Jones added three RBI in the Wildcats' effort.
Sophomore Joe Schindler, who entered the game in relief in the bottom of the fifth, earned the win for Northwestern. Junior Jake Stolley tallied his sixth save this spring after pitching two shutout innings.
NU jumped on the Wolverines early for four runs in the first two frames. The first run came in the opening inning when Heelan, who led off the game with an infield hit, crossed on a single from sophomore Joe Hoscheit. Michigan countered in the bottom half of the inning with a run of its own, drawing a pair of walks and scoring its first run with an RBI groundout.
In the top of the second, Watters and fifth-year senior Cody Stevens opened the inning with a pair of base hits. Freshman Connor Lind singled through the left side to drive home Watters before Stevens scored on a groundout from Heelan. Jones followed up with a base hit to cross Lind and the Wildcats took an early 4-1 lead.
Michigan did not let up as the Wolverines added five runs over the next two innings to take over, 6-4.
Northwestern was held scoreless over the next four frames, but finally found its rhythm in the top of the seventh. Lind and Heelan sparked the comeback with back-to-back base hits before advancing on a passed ball. An RBI groundout from Jones cut the deficit to just one, and NU found the equalizer when Hoscheit drove in Heelan with a base hit through the left side gap.
U-M took back control, 7-6, in the bottom of the seventh, but Chicago's Big Ten Team came clawing back in the visitor's side of the eighth.
Watters kicked off the frame with a double to left field before Stevens and redshirt-freshman Grant Peikert were hit by pitches to load the bases for Lind. The freshman used a groundout to score Watters, Stevens scored on a fielding error and Jones crossed Peikert as the Wildcats took a 9-7 lead.
Michigan used a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to come within one, but Northwestern hung on to even the series with a 9-8 win.
Northwestern closes out its series with Michigan with the rubber match on Sunday, May 10, at 12 p.m. CST. The game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
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