Northwestern vs IU: IU walks it off in the 9th for a 4-3 win...

[ptrich]

IU is the home team. This will be the only meeting between the teams this season unless they meet in the B1G tourney, and it doesn't count in the conference standings.

In his second appearance of the season, RHP Pete Haas will be on the mound for IU with Stadler behind the plate. Pyne is again a scratch (injury?) for the third straight game. Wiggins gets the start in RF again. The batting order is Brenczewski (DH), Taylor, Dickerson, Wiggins, Cerny, Stadler, Oliver, Hanley and Moore. LHP Sam Hliboki will be on the mound for NW and he is off to a good start to the season with an ERA of 1.50 in 6.0 innings pitched and a WHIP of 0.67, but I don't know the level of competition he faced in his earlier start.

It's 57 degrees in Cary with almost no wind (3 mph), and sunny.

T1st:

The leadoff hitter tripled when a ball kept carrying and got over Dickerson's head. A SAC fly scored the run with one out and IU is down 1-0 very quickly.

B1st:

Brenczewski Kd to leadoff and Taylor flied out. Dickerson singled to put a man on with two outs.

Wiggins singled to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Cerny just barely made contact with the ball off the end of his bat and the catcher easily threw him out at 1st to end the inning.

End of 1st: NW 1 IU 0

 

[ptrich]

T2nd:

For the 2nd straight inning, NW got the leadoff hitter on with an extra base hit, this time a leadoff double. Both hitters to lead off these innings had very anemic batting averages.

A back-to-back groundouts scored the runner from 2nd to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead with two outs. A K retired the side.

B2nd:

It's the 6 thru 8 hitters up with Stadler leading off. IU went down in order.

End of 2nd: NW 2 IU 0

 

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T3rd:

RHP Drew Buhr replaced Haas with the 9 thru 2 hitters up for NW. IU finally gets the leadoff hitter on a groundout. Two more groundouts retired the side and Buhr is keeping the ball on the ground so far.

B3rd:

It's the 9 thru 2 hitters up with Moore leading off. Moore grounded out for the first out and we are at the top of the order with a hot Brenczewski up and he grounded out.

Taylor walked to put a man on with two outs. Dickson popped out to end the inning.

End of 3rd: NW 2 IU 0

 

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T4th:

Buhr faced the 3 thru 5 hitters and the leadoff hitter singled to start the inning. Buhr got a flyout with the runner holding at 1st. IU forced the runner at 2nd on a FC for the 2nd out with a runner still at 1st. The runner at 1st stole 2nd.

A walk put runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs, but a flyout retired the side.

B4th:

It's the middle of the order up with Wiggins leading off. Wiggins singled to lead off.

Cerny grounded out but moved Wiggins into scoring position at 2nd.

Stadler walked on a full count to put runners at 1st and 2nd and one out with Oliver at the plate.

Oliver flied out for the 2nd out.

Hanley doubled to score Wiggins and runners at 2nd and 3rd and two outs.

Moore walked to load the bases with the top of the order up in Brenczewski and two outs.

Brenczewski flied out to end the inning.

End of 4th: NW 2 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

T5th:

Buhr faced the 8 thru 1 hitters. The leadoff hitter singled and it was the fourth time in five innings that the leadoff hitter has reached for NW.

A SAC bunt moved the runner to 2nd with one out and it's the top of the order up. Another single put runners at the corners with one out.

Buhr got a big out with a pop up to Cerny for the 2nd out.

A 3-2 walk loaded the bases with two outs.

B5th:

NW goes to the bullpen and brings in LHP Alex Grant. It's the 2 thru 4 hitters up and Taylor flied out lead off.

Dickerson Kd for the 2nd out. Wiggins singled with two outs and reached all the way to 3rd on a WP.

Cerny Kd swinging to end the inning.

End of 5th: NW 2 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

T6th:

Buhr put them down in order.

B6th:

Stadler flied out and Oliver walked. Hanley Kd and Moore grounded out to end the inning.

End of 6th: NW 2 IU 1

 

[ptrich]

T7th:
RHP Henry Brummel replaced Buhr and he faced the 8 thru 1 hitters. Brummel put them down in order.

B7th:
It's the 7th inning stretch time, and IU will have the top of the order up in Brenczewski and he doubled down the LF line. Taylor grounded out with Brenczewski moving to 3rd and one out.

Dickerson singled to tie the game.

Wiggins Kd looking and Mercer pinch hitted the weak hitting Denny (1 for 19 so far) for Cerny who is struggling at the plate also. Denny Kd swinging to end the inning.

End of 7th: IU 2 NW 2

 

[rcaulfie]

I have absolutely no idea what Mercer is doing. In a 2-2 game in the 7th, he pinch hits right-hand, .050 hitting FR Denny for right-hand .261 hitting JR Cerny who precedes to swing and miss on 3 straight pitches. Somebody please tell me the logic in that.

 

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T8th:

Malamazian replaced Cerny at short. Brummel got the leadoff hitter on a groundout and then have up a walk to put a man on with one out. Brummel got a K and the runners at first was caught stealing to retire the side.

B8th:

NW went to the bullpen and again brought in another left-hander in Carter Danz. Stadler Kd and Oliver grounded out for two outs.

Handly singled to put a man on with two outs. Moore reached on an infield single to put runners at 1st and 2nd with two outs and it was the top of the order up in Brenczewski.

A WP sent Hanley to 3rd with the runner on 1st holding and runners on the corners with two outs.

Brenczewsk got an infield single to score Hanley and give IU a 3-2 lead with runners at 1st and 2nd and two outs.

NW goes to the bullpen and brings in RHP Cole Mascott and it's the first rightie that IU sees today, and he will be facing Taylor.

Taylor flied out to end the inning.

End of 8th: IU 3 NW 2

 

[ptrich]

I have absolutely no idea what Mercer is doing. In a 2-2 game in the 7th, he pinch hits right-hand, .050 hitting FR Denny for right-hand .261 hitting JR Cerny who precedes to swing and miss on 3 straight pitches. Somebody please tell me the logic in that.

There's no question this was a strange move, and I'm puzzled over it.

 

[ptrich]

T9th:

Brummel was back out there and faced the 5 thru 7 hitters. He hit the leadoff hitter to put a man on. A SAC bunt moved the runner to 2nd and one out.

A pop up to SS got the 2nd out. A single scored the man on 2nd and tied the game at 3-3. The runner reached 2nd on the throw.

RHP Ben Grable replaced Brummel and he faced a pinch hitter in the No. 9 spot. Grable got a K to retire the side.

B9th:

It's was the 3 thru 5 hitters up with Dickerson leading off.

NW went to the bullpen again and the hot hitting Dickerson led off with a single. IU has outhit NW 11-6 but it hasn't shown on the scoreboard in this game.

Wiggins walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs and IU with a big chance to walk it off.

Schuyler came in to pinch hit for Malamazian and he singled to win the game.

Final: IU 4 NW 3

 

[Bucket Getter]

Good weekend. Saw most of Saturday’s game. None of Sunday’s. And just the bottom of the 9th today. What I saw was excellent. And three wins is 3 wins. Always a few head scratchers with this staff. Progress.

 

[ptrich]

It was a drop-off in competition compared to last weekend, but IU needed this to try to get all phases of the game back in sync.

IU outhit the Wildcats, 12-6, but had difficulty in stringing anything together and stranded 11 runners in the game. The Wildcats got back-to-back leadoff extra base hits in the 1st and 2nd to get an early 2-0 lead in the game and held on to that until IU finally got some late clutch hits to win it.

The top of the batting order through the first four batters, had a very good game at the plate and collectively went 8 for 14 not counting Taylor's at-bats and he went 0 for 4. Brenczewski went 2 for 4, Dickerson went 3 for 5, and Wiggins went 3 for 4. Wiggins has probably played himself into a starting position in RF and his hitting and fielding sure didn't hurt him in that regard during this tournament. Hanley went 2 for 4 in the No. 8 spot of the order. Obviously, Schuyler was the hero of the game coming off the bench to deliver the walk off hit.

If Haas wasn't required to pitch to the leadoff hitters in the game, he would have had a great game as those two extra base hits were the only hits he gave up in 2.0 IP. Buhr had another great game in middle relief and gave up just three singles in 4.0 IP and no runs. Brummel came in late and had one good inning, but gave up the tying run in the 8th while pitching 2.2 innings. Grable came in and put out the fire in the 9th with a strikeout for the last out with NW having a runner in scoring position, leading to Schuyler's heroics in the bottom of the inning.

IU had no errors which is always a positive thing.

Note: If anyone knows anything about Pyne please let us know. He didn't play in the tournament and I don't know if he is dealing with an issue or it was a coach's decision.