WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Northwestern exploded for 10 hits and seven runs on Friday evening to take game one of the series from Purdue, 7-2.
The win snapped Purdue's seven-game winning streak and improved the Wildcats to 18-26 overall and 7-9 in conference play, while the Boilermakers are now 25-19 on the season and 9-7 in league action.
Cooper Wetherbee earned the victory after notching a quality start. The left-hander went 6.0 innings and allowed just three hits and two runs, while striking out five batters. Pete Hofman picked up his second save of the season after throwing three-scoreless innings of relief, only allowing one hit. Hofman struck out three and walked one.
Freshman Leo Kaplan paced the 'Cats at the dish with a 3-for-4, RBI performance and Joe Hoscheit was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a RBI.
In addition to Kaplan and Hoscheit, Matt Hopfner, Connor Lind, Jake Schieber (2) and Jack Claeys drove in runs.
Northwestern was aggressive early at the plate on Friday collecting five hits and sending all nine batters to the plate to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After a leadoff single from Jack Dunn and walk from Alex Erro, Hoscheit got the Wildcats on the board with a double to right field.
Hopfner put the ball in play in the next at-bat to score Erro from third and put the #B1GCats up by a pair, 2-0. Claeys and Schieber each collected RBI singles later in the frame to give NU a four-run lead.
The Wildcats built their lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third when Lind dropped a safety squeeze bunt with Hopfner on third. The play was executed to perfection as Hopfner crossed home plate and Lind was credited with a RBI and a sacrifice.
Purdue cut into Northwestern's lead in the bottom of the third by scoring a pair of runs to make it a 5-2 contest.
Zeros populated the scoreboard for the next four innings.
Northwestern added to its lead in the top of the eighth by tacking on a pair of runs. Ben Dickey pinch ran for Jack Claeys after he walked and Dickey swiped second to get into scoring position. Kaplan dropped a double to right field to score Dickey from second and make it a 6-2 ballgame. Following a sacrifice bunt from Lind that moved Kaplan over to third, Schieber dropped a squeeze bunt with Kaplan running on the pitch and the play was executed to make it a 7-2 game.
Northwestern and Purdue will meet for game two of the series tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT.
The win snapped Purdue's seven-game winning streak and improved the Wildcats to 18-26 overall and 7-9 in conference play, while the Boilermakers are now 25-19 on the season and 9-7 in league action.
Cooper Wetherbee earned the victory after notching a quality start. The left-hander went 6.0 innings and allowed just three hits and two runs, while striking out five batters. Pete Hofman picked up his second save of the season after throwing three-scoreless innings of relief, only allowing one hit. Hofman struck out three and walked one.
Freshman Leo Kaplan paced the 'Cats at the dish with a 3-for-4, RBI performance and Joe Hoscheit was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a RBI.
In addition to Kaplan and Hoscheit, Matt Hopfner, Connor Lind, Jake Schieber (2) and Jack Claeys drove in runs.
Northwestern was aggressive early at the plate on Friday collecting five hits and sending all nine batters to the plate to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After a leadoff single from Jack Dunn and walk from Alex Erro, Hoscheit got the Wildcats on the board with a double to right field.
Hopfner put the ball in play in the next at-bat to score Erro from third and put the #B1GCats up by a pair, 2-0. Claeys and Schieber each collected RBI singles later in the frame to give NU a four-run lead.
The Wildcats built their lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third when Lind dropped a safety squeeze bunt with Hopfner on third. The play was executed to perfection as Hopfner crossed home plate and Lind was credited with a RBI and a sacrifice.
Purdue cut into Northwestern's lead in the bottom of the third by scoring a pair of runs to make it a 5-2 contest.
Zeros populated the scoreboard for the next four innings.
Northwestern added to its lead in the top of the eighth by tacking on a pair of runs. Ben Dickey pinch ran for Jack Claeys after he walked and Dickey swiped second to get into scoring position. Kaplan dropped a double to right field to score Dickey from second and make it a 6-2 ballgame. Following a sacrifice bunt from Lind that moved Kaplan over to third, Schieber dropped a squeeze bunt with Kaplan running on the pitch and the play was executed to make it a 7-2 game.
Northwestern and Purdue will meet for game two of the series tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT.