Fortunately for NU, there was a third game at the McNeese State Tournament.
On Sunday, senior Michael Nall pitched a complete-game gem to snap the Cats’ losing streak and send them home with a 1-2 record.
“It was nice to get back on track a little, especially with a long flight back home waiting,” Nall said.
The Cats earned a spot in the Big Ten tournament last year for the first time since 1995, thanks to the performances of then-sophomores Zach Schara and Gabe Ribas. Both earned All-Big Ten honors as Schara led the conference with a 3.06 ERA, and Ribas was third at 3.40.
But the veterans did not have their usual firepower over the weekend. Schara took the mound against McNeese State and gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings. Ribas faced off against Southwest Missouri State and surrendered five runs in only five innings of work.
While the pitchers had subpar performances, much of the blame fell on the team’s poor offensive output and shoddy fielding.
“We saw a couple of decent pitchers, but we didn’t play up to our potential at any phase of the game – offense, pitching and defense,” Nall said.
In the two losses, NU was outhit 24-16 and left 18 runners on base.
Sunday saw the Cats regain the form that pushed them out to a 5-2 start to the season.
Nall, a relief pitcher last season, made his third start of the year, striking out 11 while limiting Eastern Michigan to only six hits in an 8-0 Cats win. A groundball pitcher by nature, he got several routine putouts early on and took advantage of an early three-run lead after the first inning.
“I got into an early rhythm, and the second and third time through the lineup I was getting strikeouts,” Nall said.
The Cats extended the lead in the fifth inning after back-to-back home runs by catcher Joe Hietpas and designated hitter Matt Thompson. Infielders Eric Roeder, Wes Robinson and Todd Morgan contributed with two hits apiece as NU mustered its second-highest run total of the season.
NU has completed its tournament schedule but still has stops in Florida and Oklahoma.
Coach Paul Stevens will continue to tinker with his lineup in preparation for the Big Ten season. NU is looking to build on last season’s sixth-place finish in conference play and its 30-27 record overall.
“We have good team camaraderie, which was built last year, and we have a higher set of expectations for ourselves,” Nall said.
