By the time Northwestern starting pitcher Dan Pohlman recorded the first out of Tuesday’s game, Wisconsin-Milwaukee had scored four runs.
And despite the fact that the Wildcats didn’t allow another run until the ninth, they couldn’t get enough offensive production to take the lead, losing 6-5 when a late rally fell short.
After struggling through the first frame, Pohlman returned to throw four hitless innings before being relieved by Andy Adams.
“It was brutal,” Pohlman said of the first inning. “I didn’t come out ready to go, and that cost us. For whatever reason, I’ve always been kind of a slow starter like that – it takes me a little while to settle in.”
The Cats scored three runs in the first six innings, including a solo home run from catcher Pat McMahon in the sixth. McMahon’s shot to left field was his first collegiate homer.
NU failed to score in the seventh when Jason Krynski struck out looking to end the inning, stranding runners on second and third. In the bottom of the eighth, it was more of the same – despite loading the bases with only one out, the Cats failed to score.
“We just didn’t come through with the clutch hits,” NU coach Paul Stevens said. “We had opportunities early – we loaded the bases a couple of times and nothing happened.”
The Panthers also had their share of men left on base.
In the eighth, after an intentional walk loaded the bases, Wisconsin-Milwaukee pinch-hitter John Vanden Berg hit a grand slam that the umpires ruled foul – a call disputed by Panthers coach Jerry Augustine. Vanden Berg struck out on the next pitch, and designated hitter Matt Alexander ended the inning with a ground ball hit back to the mound.
The Panthers put two runs on the board in the top of the ninth, but NU responded with a rally in the home half. Krynski started it off with a one-out, two-run home run to right field, and catcher Ken Padgett put himself on base with a two-out single to left center. But pinch-hitter Matt Thompson popped out to second base to end the game.
Krynski said his homer was too little, too late.
“He gave me an easy pitch to hit,” Krynski said. “A couple innings before, with guys on second and third, I really screwed up. So it kind of made up for that, but at the wrong time. That’s a problem for us – we leave a lot of guys on base.”
Stevens said his team’s shortcomings were not for lack of effort. In fact, unlike most Tuesday games, most of the usual NU lineup played. Pohlman, who has mostly seen action on the mound as a reliever, might soon be in the regular rotation for Big Ten games. With Dan Konecny out with mono, Stevens has a spot to fill, and he’s not worried about Pohlman’s slow starts.
“I’m real excited about how Danny brushed it off and came back,” Stevens said. “He’s a confident kid and he just doesn’t ever give in. I’d go down a dark alley any day of the week with Pohlman.”
