Baseball

Northwestern’s Friday doubleheader against Michigan didn’t quite get off on the right foot.

The Wildcats (7-19, 1-3 Big Ten) were routed by Michigan (18-5, 1-0) in their Big Ten home opener, 10-4. NU, who committed 4 errors in Friday’s first game, has now lost 15 of its last 18 games dating back to March 4 after starting the season 4-4.

Senior Reed Mason started the game for NU and struggled, only lasting three-plus innings working slowly. Despite working out of a bases loaded jam in the second, the senior was charged with 6 runs, 5 earned, and an RBI double by junior Carmen Benedetti in the fourth ultimately knocked him out of the game.

The Cats got the game’s offense started though, as junior right fielder Matt Hopfner cranked a solo home run in the first inning off Michigan starting pitcher Oliver Jaskie. Hopfner also made a nice defensive play in the 5th, gunning down left fielder Matt Ramsay at the plate to end the inning.

NU showed a little life toward the end of the game but it was too little, too late. In the seventh, the Cats got 2 runs back after a Willie Bourbon RBI double and Grant Peikert RBI ground out. Michigan reliever Jayce Vancena limited the damage though, coming in for Jaskie with runners on second and third with one out and retiring the next two batters, including Peikert.