Looking to pull off a ninth-inning comeback, Northwestern mustered three runs before falling 7-6 in game one against Michigan on Friday.
The Wildcats (14-21-1, 5-13 Big Ten) were unable to bring their scoring surge into Saturday and Sunday, putting up just four runs over the final two games of the weekend as the Wolverines (24-15, 10-8 Big Ten) completed the series sweep.
NU’s offense had eight hits in Friday’s loss, led by graduate student second baseman Noah Ruiz’s season-high three hits. Senior third baseman Owen McElfatrick and sophomore catcher Jay Slater each had a team-high two RBIs, with Slater and junior shortstop Ryan Kucherak hitting home runs during the ninth-inning rally.
Freshman pitcher Jake Rifenburg started game one against Michigan, pitching four innings and giving up nine hits and seven earned runs. Junior pitcher Garrett Shearer entered in relief for Rifenburg, pitching four hitless innings during the ’Cats’ comeback attempt.
The Wolverines started Saturday’s game with a five-run first inning. The ’Cats had 11 hits in the game, their series-high, but they could not overcome the early deficit in the 8-3 loss. Sophomore left fielder Logan de Groot had a career-high four hits Saturday, tied for the most hits by a ’Cat this season.
One NU error contributed to two early Michigan runs. The Wolverines scored seven runs during starting sophomore pitcher Matt Kouser’s five innings pitched, but four came from NU’s defensive foibles.
Michigan pitcher David Lally Jr. pitched a complete game Sunday, allowing just one hit and no earned runs in the Wolverines’ 2-1 win.
Freshman second baseman Jake Yang broke Lally’s no-hitter in the fifth inning with a single. Yang’s hit advanced McElfatrick, who had walked two batters earlier, to third base. In the next at-bat, both runners advanced on a passed ball, with McElfatrick scoring NU’s lone run.
Neither team scored over the next four and a half innings, and Michigan held onto its 2-1 lead to clinch the series sweep.
The ’Cats return home this week for back-to-back non-conference matchups, hosting Bradley on Tuesday and St. Thomas on Wednesday.
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