Northwestern traveled to Notre Dame Tuesday, seeking a spark at the plate after averaging 2.25 runs in their last four outings.
The Wildcats (15-15, 6-6 Big Ten) found their offense en route to a 9-7 win, shrugging off a slow start with a three-run third inning. NU’s scoring surge continued with multi-run innings in the fourth and fifth innings.
The Fighting Irish (15-15, 3-12 ACC) fell behind by as many as five runs but clawed back within one after a four-run seventh-inning rally.
Notre Dame was in control early, as pitcher Kellan Klosterman put out seven consecutive NU batters to start the game. The Fighting Irish scored the game’s first run off a Connor Hincks double in the second.
Junior infielder Owen McElfatrick stepped up to the plate in the third inning with the bases loaded and subsequently put the ’Cats on the board with a two-run single.
Notre Dame turned to their bullpen down 3-1 entering the fourth inning, but despite this switch, NU’s hitting success continued. Freshman outfielder Zach Carlson opened the inning with a double and scored on a wild pitch to extend the ’Cats lead to 4-2. Carlson, who entered the contest with 16 at-bats in 10 appearances this season, leads NU with a .438 batting average. Later in the inning, senior outfielder Preston Knott added two runs with his fourth home run of the season.
Junior infielder Trent Liolios’ two-run shot, his 15th home run of the season, gave the ’Cats an 8-3 lead in the fifth. With that swing, Liolios tied the ’Cats program record for home runs in a single season and is now tied for the Big Ten lead.
Junior right-hander Amar Tsengeg started for the ’Cats, pitching 3.2 innings and tying his career-high with four strikeouts. Tsengeg gave up three hits and two earned runs to the Fighting Irish, bringing his season ERA to 8.83.
Freshman right-hander Jack Grunkemeyer earned his first career win, allowing two runs and one hit in 2.1 innings of relief.
The Fighting Irish stormed back in the seventh inning, scoring four runs with three hits. They took advantage of a walk, two hit-by-pitches and a wild pitch in their comeback attempt. Graduate student left-hander Crawford Wade — NU’s third pitcher of the inning after Grunkmeyer and freshman left-hander Christian Forniss were pulled — recorded the last two outs of the inning to hold an 8-7 lead. Wade then made quick work of the Notre Dame lineup in the eighth with a three-up, three-down inning.
Knott capped off a three-hit, three-RBI game with an RBI double to give the ’Cats an insurance run in the ninth inning. Sophomore infielder Ryan Kucherak, sophomore infielder Jack Counsell and Liolios teamed up for a double-play on the final play to complete a 9-7 victory.
The ’Cats are back on the diamond Friday to visit Michigan State for the first of three games in the weekend series.
Email: andrewlittle2028@u.northwestern.edu
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