Hoosiers drop 3 of 4 in Evanston to Wildcats

Cold and windy conditions kept scoring to a minimum, and the Northwestern pitching staff held down the Hoosier bats in the teams' first game of their weekend series Saturday. \nNorthwestern starting pitcher Ryan Myers gave up six hits, two runs (one earned), over 6 1/3 innings, walking five and striking out seven. Myers out-pitched IU senior starter Josh Lewis (2-5) who gave up six hits and four runs over seven innings, striking out three and walking four. \nIU held a 2-1 lead into the sixth, but Northwestern put up three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good at 4-2. First baseman Pat McMahon started the scoring for the Wildcats with a solo home run to lead off the inning. After two singles and a hit batsman, third baseman Caleb Fields hit a two-RBI double.\nThe Wildcat bullpen followed with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to close out the game. \nIU junior shortstop Josh Richardson had three of IU's seven hits on the game, going 3-for-4. \nThe Hoosier bats were quiet again in game two of the series. Northwestern starting pitcher Dan Brauer surrendered five hits and one run over seven innings, striking out seven on his way to the complete game in the 12-1 Wildcat win. \n"They had a couple arms that I thought were pretty good," IU coach Tracy Smith said. "But we didn't make adjustments offensively."\nIU senior starter Clint Crosier (2-2) struggled in the second game, allowing six hits and six runs, five earned, over 2 1/3 innings. \nAfter knocking Crosier out of the game, the Northwestern offense didn't let up. IU sophomore reliever Doug Fleenor was unable to quiet the Northwestern bats, allowing seven hits and six runs, five earned, over three innings. \nIU got a strong pitching performance of its own in game three. Sophomore starter Chris McCombs (1-0) went the distance, giving up five hits and two runs, one earned, in seven innings. \nMcCombs out-pitched Northwestern starter George Kontos, who also went the complete seven, allowing three runs on six hits. \n"I just challenged the hitters and tried to keep us in the game," McCombs said. "The defense played really well."\nTrailing 1-0 early, the Hoosiers tied the score with a run in the third on a two-out RBI single by senior center fielder Reggie Watson.\nFreshman outfielder Cameron Satterwhite continued his hot hitting in the fourth, doubling after a Keith Haas lead-off walk. Senior first baseman Ryan Parker plated Haas with a ground out, then Satterwhite scored on a wild pitch one batter later to make it 3-1.\nParker made his first start of the season Saturday, battling back after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last summer.\n"It felt great coming back," Parker said. "I felt an energy I hadn't felt before on the team. We need more of that."\nNorthwestern outfielder Anthony Wycklendt homered in the sixth to make it 3-2, but McCombs finished the game without another threat to IU's lead.\nThe final game was another low-scoring affair and slipped out of the Hoosiers' grasp in the bottom of the ninth.\nAfter tying the game 3-3 in the top of the inning, IU sophomore reliever David Trager (1-3) worked himself into trouble with a single and a walk with one out. Then Northwestern second baseman Jake Owens singled down the right field line, driving in the run for a 4-3 win.\nThe losses dropped the Hoosiers to 2-6 in conference play. The team will head to Cincinnati Wednesday to take on Xavier.