Feb. 28, 2003

Box Score

Troy State Box Score in PDF Format

DOTHAN, Ala. -

Northwestern erupted for five runs in the 13th inning to defeat Troy State, 6-1, at the ScreenTech Wiregrass Baseball Classic at Northcutt Field in Dothan, Ala. With the win, NU improves to 5-1 while Troy State falls to 6-5.

For 12 innings it was a pitchers dual as both starting pitchers matched each other pitch for pitch. Northwestern starter Dan Konecny (Ripon, Wis./Ripon) continued to dominate on the hill, going nine innings in the no decision. Konecny scattered six hits and struck out five. His counterpart, Troy State's Eric Wikstrom, also went nine innings, giving up six hits and striking out six. On the year, Konecny has given up two runs in 23.1 innings (three starts) of work.

Troy State got on the board first, plating the first hitter of the game to take the early 1-0 lead.

Trojan centerfielder Clint Wade led off the game with a double, advanced to third on a Konecny wild pitch and scored on a groundout to first. Wade finished the game 3-for-5.

NU tied the game in the fifth as third baseman Mike Phelps (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) singled to start things off. Phelps advanced to second on a Josh Lieberman (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) sacrifice bunt and eventually scored on David Gresky's (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) sacrifice fly.

At the conclusion of the ninth, freshman Dan Brauer (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) came in to pitch for NU. The freshman threw four innings of shutout baseball, striking out eight, picking up his first collegiate win. Along with tonight's win, Brauer has two saves in only three collegiate appearances.

In the top of the 13th, Gresky led off with a line-drive double off the centerfield wall and advanced to third on Travis Tharp's (Boulder, Colo./Boulder) groundout to first base. Catcher Ken Padgett (Littleton, Colo./Arapahoe) reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second when the Trojan catcher was called for catcher's interference on Brandon Ackley (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), loading the bases. Left-fielder Dan Pohlman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) came to the plate and was quickly hit by the pitch, driving in the go-ahead run. But with the bases still loaded, sophomore shortstop Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) laced a triple down the left-field line, driving in three runs to make the score 5-1. NU didn't stop there. With Mikrut on third, sophomore Chris Hayes (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) hit an infield single, giving the Wildcats runners on first and third with one out. Lieberman promptly hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Mikrut from third to end the scoring.

NU is back in action tomorrow in the second round of the Wiregrass Classic, taking on Temple at 2:30 p.m.

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