Indiana drops game two, 9-6, to Northwestern
May 7, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana Baseball's weekend series with Northwestern is headed for a rubber match on Sunday following a 9-6 Wildcat victory in the second game of the three-game stint. The Hoosiers started a rally in the late stages, but ultimately fell short Saturday after taking the series opener on Friday.
Sophomore second baseman Micah Johnson is on a tear this weekend, going 6-for-7 with three runs batted in through the first two games. Dustin DeMuth joined him in the three-hit club on Saturday, connecting for three base knocks and scoring three runs.
Northwestern scored right out of the gates off Chris Lashmet's first of two homers on the day. Johnson quickly countered for IU, however, blasting a solo shot of his own in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 1-1.
The Wildcats then tallied lone runs in the second and third inning, pulling ahead at 3-1.
The top of Indiana's lineup entered the batters' box to start the home half of the third. Lead-off hitter Dustin DeMuth cracked a pitch to the right-center power alley, legging out a triple. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to pull the Hoosiers within a run at 3-2.
The bottom fell out in the fifth though when Northwestern scarred the Hoosiers with four runs and forcing another IU pitching change, leading 7-2.
DeMuth was involved in two more Hoosier runs in the bottom of the fifth, slapping a single into shallow center which scored T.C. Knipp after he muscled a triple into deep center field. DeMuth moved up to second on a groundball before coming home on an Alex Dickerson chopper up the middle which landed in center field and cut the IU deficit to three tallies at 7-4.
Northwestern's pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings was matched by Jerrud Sabourin's two-RBI double in ninth, resulting in a final score of 9-6.
The series-deciding third game is set for a 1:05 pm first pitch at Sembower Field. The weather forecast is calling for perfect baseball weather, 70s and sunny. Can't make it out to the field in person? Be sure to listen in as Jeremy Gray calls all the action on IUHoosiers.com's live audio broadcast.
