The mound was an interesting place for the six Northwestern pitchers who threw in Friday’s 14-6 loss to Michigan (17-28, 11-14 Big Ten).
The Wildcats’ starter broke a long-standing record, one of their relievers was sent to the hospital after being hit by a hard line drive, and the closer – throwing exclusively knuckleballs – made his first appearance on the mound in his four-year career.
Starter Zach Schara got his 275th career strikeout, breaking a 16-year-old NU record. But the milestone was bittersweet, as Schara struggled to keep his curve ball down. He struck out seven and walked only one but gave up nine runs – including three home runs – in seven innings.
“Honestly, I wasn’t focusing on (the record),” Schara said. “My focus was on getting outs, not strikeouts. I needed to put us in a position to win, which I didn’t do.”
In the top of the eighth freshman Stanley Finch came in, but he was quickly pulled after walking the first batter he faced.
Classmate Evan Blesoff then took the mound, immediately getting a strikeout. But two hitters and one run later, Michigan’s Brock Koman hit a hard line drive toward the mound. The ball ricocheted off the top of Blesoff’s head, sailing well out of play and onto a tennis court near the baseball field. Blesoff came out of the game and was taken to the hospital for precautionary tests, which came back negative.
“Evan was very fortunate because the ball hit off the hardest part of his skull,” NU athletic trainer Michael Rose said. “There was no cut, no lump, no bruise – he’s just really lucky.”
According to Rose, Blesoff was not diagnosed with a concussion and released Friday night.
The play was ruled a ground-rule double, and freshman J.A. Happ finished the top of the eighth inning, allowing one run.
NU head coach Paul Stevens said Blesoff’s injury changed the tide of the game.
“I thought we were in it until Evan got hit,” Stevens said. “After that we battled but just couldn’t make it happen.”
The Cats (19-25, 10-13) failed to score in the bottom of the eighth, leaving the score at 11-6. Happ lasted one out into the ninth, when he was replaced by freshman Chris Hayes, the fifth NU pitcher of the day. Hayes, who had only thrown three innings all season, gave up three runs (two earned) before senior Matt Thompson came in to close the game.
Thompson had never pitched in his collegiate career and threw just two warmup pitches before signaling that he was ready to go.
“I’ve been waiting on that for a long time,” said Thompson, who added that he almost pitched at Penn State his sophomore year. “I had warmed up during the game, so I was loose. I was just ready.”
Throwing all knuckleballs, Thompson hit Koman, the first batter he faced – coincidentally the same player whose line drive hit Blesoff – and forced the Wolverines’ Brandon Roberts to ground out to end the inning.
“Matt’s been throwing (batting practice) for a long time, so it’s nothing that new,” Stevens said. “It was good – something different. But you can’t make a living throwing a knuckle ball.”
Michigan starter Bobby Korecky, on the other hand, pitched all nine innings Friday afternoon. En route to going the distance, the senior gave up just eight hits and did not allow the Cats to score after the fifth inning.
NU threatened in the bottom of the seventh when, after Steve Haake singled to left field, David Gresky crushed a ball to center field that nearly left the park. The wind kept the ball in, however, and the Cats didn’t threaten again.
Friday was supposed to be the first of a crucial four-game weekend series, with Big Ten tournament implications. But Saturday and Sunday’s games were both rained out. Because Michigan is out of school for the summer, the Wolverines will remain in Evanston to play a doubleheader today, starting at 2 p.m. at Rocky Miller Park.
