University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Falls 9-8 to Northwestern in Series Finale
5/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota entered the top of the eighth inning trailing 9-4, but came up with four runs to cut it to 9-8. Kevin Carlson (Edina, Minn.) singled to lead off the inning, but was wiped out on a fielder’s choice groundout by Nohelty. The Golden Gophers made it first and second when Luke MacLean (Bloomington, Minn.) was hit by a pitch. Mee hit a ball right back to Northwestern pitcher Andrew Smith, but Smith threw the ball away to the second baseman to load the bases.
Hunter drove a ball to the left centerfiled gap with the bases loaded. Brauer made a diving attempt at the ball, but had the ball hit off his glove. The runners had, but Nohelty came home to score on the long RBI single by Hunter to make it 9-5. Jost followed by crushing a pitch to the right centerfield gap for a three-run double to cut the lead to one run at 9-8. Leseman was hit by a pitch to make it first and second with one out, but reliever Andrew Smith got Kyle Baran (Apple Valley, Minn.) to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Minnesota had a chance in the top of the ninth when Lyons led off with a single. Carlson moved Lyons to second with a sacrifice bunt. Nohelty hit a hard line shot to center field, but it hung up for the second out of the inning. With two outs, Luke MacLean (Bloomington, Minn.) hit a slow roller to third. Caleb Fields came up with it and three to first as Pat McMahon came up with the throw in the dirt for the final out.
Senior Andy Hunter (West St. Paul, Minn.) led the way going four-for- five with two runs and two RBI. Mike Mee (Richfield, Minn.) ended up going three-for-five with three runs.
Bryan Jost (Oakdale, Minn.) had a career-high four RBI on the game, going one-for-four with a double and the four runs driven in for the Golden Gophers.
Matt Nohelty (Rothscild, Wis.) went two-for-six with one run and one RBI, while Dan Lyons (Rochester, Minn.) was two-for-five with an RBI. Tony Leseman (St. Paul, Minn.) reached base four times and scored a run on the day.
Tyler Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) gave up four hits and four runs in one and two thirds innings to take the loss to fall to 1-3 on the season. Northwestern starter Julio Siberio gave up nine hits and three runs in five innings to pick up the win to move to 3-2. Andrew Smith pitched the final four innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs to pick up his first save of the year.
Bill Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn.) gave up just one hit and one run in two and a third innings, while Andy Peters (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Northwestern got on the board first with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Aaron Newman started the inning with an infield single and reached second on a throwing error. Minnesota starter Tyler Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) held Newman at second on a botched sacrifice bunt attempt by Jake Owens. Pat McMahon walked to make it first and second.
The Golden Gophers got the second out of the inning when Dan Lyons (Rochester, Minn.) made a diving play to get McMahon at second on a sharp grounder by Antonio Mule. Caleb Fields brought home the first run of the game with an RBI to center field. Dan Brauer gave Northwestern a 4-0 lead when delivered a three-run homer to right centerfield.
Northwestern added a single run in the bottom of the third inning to move ahead 5-0. Antonio Mule led off with a single, but was wiped out on a fielder’s choice groundout by Fields. Fields advanced to second on a throwing error. He then stole second base and came around to score on a throwing error to give the Wildcats a 5-0 lead.
Minnesota got on the board with a single run in the top of the fourth inning to make it 5-1. Tony Leseman (St. Paul, Minn.) reached first to start the inning when he was hit by a pitch. Kyle Baran then drew a walk to make it first and second with no one out. Northwestern starter Julio Siberio got the next two batters to pop out to get out of the jam.
However, Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) cued an opposite field RBI single to cut the Wildcat lead to 5-1. Senior Luke Maclean (Bloomington, Minn.) followed with a perfect bunt single, however the Wildcats got out of the inning when Fields threw out Baran rounding third to get out of the inning.
Northwestern got a run back in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Finn started the inning with a leadoff single and moved to second on a walk by Newman. Minnesota went to a bunt defense, but Owens ended up swinging away and brining home Finn to make it 6-1 on a hustle double to make it second and third with nobody out.
John Gaub (South St. Paul, Minn.) walked the first batter, but struck out Mule for the first out of the inning. Gaub then got Fields to ground into a double play to get out of the inning to keep the score at 6-1.
Minnesota got two runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Northwestern lead to 6-3. Mike Mee (Richfield, Minn.) led off the inning by reaching on an error and moved to third on a single to right field by Hunter. Bryan Jost (Oakdale, Minn.) brought home Mee on a sacrifice fly to cut the Wildcat lead to 6-2. Northwestern got Leseman to fly out for the second out, but Baran kept the inning alive with a single to right centerfield that moved Hunter to third. With two outs, Lyons lined the ball off the knee of Siberio to bring home Hunter to cut the lead to 6-3. Baran moved up to third on a throwing error by Fields from the third base. With runners on first and third, pinch-hitter Taylor VanderAarde (Hastings, Minn.) hit a hard shot to the right side, but McMahon came up with it for the third out of the inning.
Northwestern got both runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Brauer walked to lead off the inning and scored on a two-run homer to left field by Anthony Wycklendt to give the Wildcats an 8-3 lead.
Minnesota got a run back in the top of the sixth inning to cut the lead to 8-4. With two outs, Mee came up with a single to right field and moved to second on a balk. Hunter delivered an RBI single to cut the Northwestern lead to 8-4.
Northwestern scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning to push its lead out to 9-4. Brauer led off with a double to the left centerfield gap. Brauer moved up to third on a Wyclendt groundout and came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Wildcats a 9-4 lead.
Brauer followed up a strong pitching performance on Sunday with a strong hitting performance on Sunday going two-for-two, reaching base four times with a home run, three runs and three RBI. Wycklendt also went one-for-four with a home run and two RBI.
Minnesota return to Big Ten action when it travels to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State on Friday, May 12 at 5:35 p.m. (CT), on Saturday, May 13 in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. (CT) and in the series finale on Sunday, May 14 at 1 p.m.
