After securing two non-conference wins against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday and Milwaukee on Wednesday, Northwestern traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for a series against Ohio State. 

However, the Wildcats (16-32, 3-18 Big Ten) failed to carry their momentum against the Buckeyes (26-23, 10-11 Big Ten) as they dropped their fourth consecutive conference series. 

In the Friday night series opener at Bill Davis Stadium, offensive action was minimal through the first six innings, with the score knotted at 1-1.

NU remained competitive thanks to the brilliance of graduate student pitcher Jack Dyke, who maintained complete control on the mound. He allowed just two hits and one run while striking out seven batters. 

However, the Buckeyes began to connect off Dyke in the seventh frame. The right-hander allowed two singles to the first three batters he faced before being replaced by sophomore right-hander Drew Dickson.

Dickson struggled to manage Dyke’s predicament and was hit hard during his brief appearance on the mound, allowing Ohio State to take a 5-1 lead and ultimately letting the game slip out of the ’Cats’ hands.

While NU attempted to make a comeback bid in the eighth inning via graduate student center fielder Griffin Arnone’s RBI single, it wasn’t enough to make up for the deep deficit, eventually falling 7-2. 

In the series’ second game Saturday afternoon, the storyline diverged drastically as the ’Cats struggled to keep up with the hosts. Starting pitcher and graduate student Kyle Potthoff allowed eight hits and six earned runs in less than two innings.

Through four innings, the Buckeyes had already jumped out to an 11-0 lead, behind first baseman Ryan Miller, who launched two home runs before NU recorded a run.

For the remainder of the game, the ’Cats managed to put runs on the board, but it was not nearly enough to overcome their early game deficit as the game concluded with the score at 14-6.

Sunday afternoon’s series finale witnessed a vastly different outcome as the Buckeyes’ lineup struggled to put runs on the board.      

Ohio State struck first when center fielder Josh Stevenson tallied an RBI single off senior right-hander Matt McClure in the bottom of the second inning. 

In the top of the third, NU swiftly responded as sophomore second baseman Owen McElfatrick drove in Arnone with an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1. Then, junior catcher Bennett Markinson gave the ’Cats their first lead of the series with a sacrifice fly.

NU scored its third unanswered run in the top of the fourth inning off sophomore first baseman Trent Liolios’ solo home run, putting coach Ben Greenspan’s squad up 3-1. This ultimately stood as the final score, allowing the ’Cats to avoid a series sweep by the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s hitting woes throughout the day stemmed from NU’s pitching performance, especially from senior southpaw Nolan Morr, who took to the mound in the bottom of the sixth.

In just over two innings, the relief pitcher did not allow a hit or run and was credited with the win, bringing his record to 2-4 for the year.

NU looks to pick up its second straight victory Tuesday afternoon as it hosts Valparaiso at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.

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