Northwestern traveled to the Carolinas for the third straight weekend to take on The Citadel.
After losing the first two games of the series, the Wildcats (7-7, 0-0 Big Ten) battled back in the final two, splitting the weekend with the Bulldogs (9-7, 0-0 Southern Conference).
The Citadel’s offense got to work early in game one. Facing graduate student left-hander Crawford Wade on the mound, the Bulldogs opened scoring in the second inning with an RBI single to left field. In the subsequent inning, The Citadel extended its lead to two with a solo shot down the left field line.
The hosts tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning after Bulldog outfielder Thomas Rollauer stole home and his teammate, infielder Lane Tobin, singled.
A wild pitch that plated senior outfielder Preston Knott and an RBI sacrifice fly from senior catcher Bennett Markinson in the sixth inning were not enough to overcome The Citadel’s lead, and the ’Cats fell 4-2 in game one.
Following the loss, NU entered its second Saturday in a row without its star sophomore right-hander Garrett Shearer, who started the second game in the team’s first two weekends.
The ’Cats’ offense pulled a quick reversal for game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. NU scored three runs in the first inning off a trio of doubles from sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman, junior infielder Trent Liolios and Markinson.
Bulldog runs in the bottom of the first and second frames evened the score, but not for long.
In the fourth inning, Liolios went deep, handing the ’Cats a 4-3 lead.
A sloppy NU defensive effort in the sixth ultimately decided the game. A wild pitch from freshman right-hander Matthew Kouser allowed a runner on third to score, forcing NU to turn to graduate student right-hander Sam Hliboki.
With one out, Hliboki forced what looked like a double play opportunity with two runners in scoring position. Sophomore outfielder Jack Counsell fielded the ball and beat the runner with his throw to Markinson, but the catcher touched home without making the tag, allowing the runner to score and give The Citadel the lead. Markinson then threw to first for the force out.
The ’Cats were unable to respond in the top of the seventh inning, pushing their losing streak to six games.
After closing out the first game of the doubleheader, Hliboki started game two, and graduate student left-hander Blake MacMillan pitched three innings in relief. The pair only allowed one run on eight hits.
NU got on the board in the second inning after Counsell poked a ground-rule double to left center, scoring Markinson. In the third inning, a Liolios sacrifice fly brought home Knott. Counsell notched another RBI in the fourth frame with a single up the middle. An RBI double from Freeman added some security in the eighth, as the ’Cats grabbed their first win of the weekend.
Both offenses came to play on Sunday, as the teams combined for 17 runs. Knott got the party started as soon as he could with a leadoff homer to right field. Junior infielder Owen McElfatrick and Freeman both got on base in the following at-bats, and Liolios grounded into a double play to bring one home.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the bottom of the frame from a Garrett Dill home run, cutting the NU lead to one.
The teams canceled each other out in the second inning as they scored three runs apiece. The ’Cats extended their one-run cushion in the fifth inning by way of a Liolios home run and a single by junior outfielder Marty Kaplan.
After The Citadel plated a run in the bottom of the frame, Liolios gave NU an 8-5 lead with an RBI single to right field.
Junior outfielder Jack Lausch delivered an over-the-shoulder web gem in the seventh inning to prevent an extra-base hit as both teams plated two runs in the frame.
Ultimately, the Bulldogs could not overcome the deficit, as the ’Cats walked away from the series with a draw after taking game four, 10-7.
NU will be back in action Tuesday for its home opener against Illinois State.
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