March 21, 2005

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - Kent State scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning, defeating Northwestern 5-1 Monday afternoon at IMG Academy Park in Bradenton, Fla. With the loss, NU falls to 6-7 overall, 2-1 in Florida.

Senior Jon Mikrut (Wauconda, Ill./Carmel) opened the game with an RBI triple in the bottom of the first inning, giving NU a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Junior Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) single prior to Mikrut's hit, scoring NU's only run of the game.

Kent State had little going for six innings off senior right-hander Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest). Blesoff cruised through the first six innings, not allowing a base runner until the fourth inning. He retired eight of the first nine KSU hitters he faced, the lone runner reaching by hit-by-pitch.

After retiring the first two hitters in the top of the seventh, Blesoff issued a base-on-balls and hit the next Kent State hitter with a pitch. Following the hit batsman, sophomore Dan Schwartz (New York, N.Y./Northern Valley Regional) came on in relief of Blesoff, giving up a double and triple, before uncorking a wild pitch, allowing the Kent State runners to score.

Schwartz pitched two and one-third innings, giving up three runs on five hits. Two of the runners who scored were credited to Blesoff.

Blesoff took the loss, falling to 1-3 on the season.

Offensively, Mikrut was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a double and triple.

The Wildcats are next in action when they take on Dartmouth, Thursday afternoon at IMG Academy Park. Game time is set for 3 p.m. (EST).