April 20, 2008

Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Jake Goebbert broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run single in the top of the eighth that put Northwestern up for good in an 9-6 win over Iowa in the second game of a doubleheader at Duane Banks Field Sunday evening. The win allowed the Wildcats to win the series three games to one.

Freshman Nate Roberts led NU (13-17, 8-8) with four hits, while Goebbert, Jake Owens and Aaron Newman added three hits apiece as the Wildcats totaled 17 hits in the contest.

Like it did in the first game, Iowa (14-21, 5-11) was the first to score in the bottom of the first. Kevin Hoef started things with a single, moved up on a sac bunt and scored on a hit by Justin Toole.

Northwestern took the lead in the ensuing half-inning with a pair of runs. Chris Lashmet stayed red-hot with a single to lead off the frame, stole second and scored on a single to right by Jake Wilson. Jake Owens would plate Wilson from second later in the frame with his second hit in as many innings.

The Wildcats' advantage grew to 4-1 in the third. Mike Kalina and Lashmet were both in scoring position when Roberts went the other way with a single to left to put NU up by three.

Owens started another rally in the fourth, collecting his third hit to start the frame and then advancing around to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Newman would bring him home on a successful safety squeeze bunt.

The Hawkeyes cut Northwestern's lead in half in the bottom half of the fourth, pushing across two runs to get back within 5-3. Wes Freie opened the inning with a homer and Hoef later added an RBI single. Bo Schultz entered in relief of Jensen with the tying runs aboard and one out, but was able to strand both baserunners in scoring position.

Iowa completed the comeback in the sixth as it scored twice to knot things at 5-5. Consecutive triples to open the inning got the Hawkeyes within one before a throwing error with one away evened things up. Matt Havey relieved Schultz with runners on the corners and one away and got a lineout to third and a popout in foul territory to catcher Chad Noble to prevent Iowa from taking the lead.

The Wildcats reclaimed a one-run advantage in the top of the seventh. Goebbert hit a leadoff double but was third with two down before Roberts delivered his third hit of the game to put NU up 6-5.

A pair of leadoff walks came back to haunt Havey in the bottom of the seventh. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Matt Mossey hit a chopper to Lashmet at third. The throw home to Noble was in time, but Freie was able to jar the ball loose to score the tying run.

The scoring spree continued in the eighth as Northwestern put forth its winning rally. Noble started things with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt. A walk to Owens and an infield single loaded the bases for Goebbert who kept his stellar weekend going with a rocket back up the middle that plated two and put the 'Cats up 8-6.

Jonathan Purcell came on to start the bottom of the eighth on the mound and gave up a pair of hits that gave the Hawkeyes runners at the corners with one down. However, the sophomore righty came up big, getting a popup to short and a strikeout to escape trouble.

After Newman came through with a big two-out RBI single to add insurance in the top of the ninth, Purcell set Iowa down in order in the bottom half to preserve his first career save.

Northwestern returns to action at 3 p.m. Tuesday when it hosts Robert Morris (Ill.) at Rocky Miller Park.