On a nippy afternoon with scattered clouds and wind blowing towards the fences at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park, conditions were ripe for offenses to shine.
Tuesday’s matchup pitted Northwestern against Northern Illinois in an inner-state tilt. Despite being the hosts, the Wildcats (16-18, 7-8 Big Ten) could not keep up with the Huskies’ (13-22, 3-12 MAC) offensive explosion in a 27-11 loss.
NU’s 27 allowed runs were the most allowed in coach Ben Greenspan’s tenure. It also marked a program-record for the Huskies. The ’Cats gave up 16 hits, 17 walks and five HBPs between six pitchers.
“We didn’t give ourselves a chance,” Greenspan said. “What we did on the mound today doesn’t give us a chance to win. … That sets the tone for the entire game.”
NIU picked up its second consecutive win over NU after a 17-8 road win last year.
Junior right-hander Amar Tsengeg started on the mound for the ’Cats. The Huskies scored one run in the first inning off Tsengeg, but NU responded with junior infielder Owen McElfatrick’s home run to left field to net the game at one.
NIU then loaded the bases to start the second inning, and CJ Cepicky took advantage with a grand slam. Cepicky would hit another grand slam in the seventh inning to cap a 2 for 3, 8 RBI day.
Tsengeg then allowed a single before he and the ’Cats’ defense finished the inning with three consecutive outs, and NU then turned to freshman right-hander Jack Grunkemeyer out of the bullpen in the third inning. However, they would never climb out of the hole that was dug in the second inning.
Grunkemeyer was fresh off of 2.2 perfect innings of relief Sunday at Michigan State and his first career win last week at Notre Dame. However, he failed to replicate his recent success, giving up seven runs in one inning.
The ’Cats had no answers in the rest of the bullpen, cycling through four more pitchers in the run-rule-shortened game. All six pitchers allowed at least three earned runs.
NU found momentum at the plate late in the contest. McElfatrick led off the sixth inning with his second homer of the day and fourth of the season, as he hit a solo shot to the opposite right field. He drilled two home runs in a single game for the first time this season while tying a career high.
“He’s a guy that uses the whole field really well,” Greenspan said. “It’s encouraging when you see power in all fields. It makes you tougher to pitch to, and Owen has the ability to do that.”
Graduate student utility player Tyler Ganus, sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman, sophomore infielder Ryan Kucherak and senior catcher Bennett Markinson scored later in the sixth inning, but the five-run rally was too little, too late.
The ’Cats finished the day with 12 hits. McElfatrick and senior Preston Knott had three RBIs each, while junior infielder Trent Liolios added two.
NU will look to get back on track this weekend as it travels to Nebraska for a three-game conference series.
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