Central Michigan University
Northwestern
Chippewas Drop Home Opener
3/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Lindsay Gerber, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Central Michigan baseball team dropped a 4-2 nonconference decision to Northwestern on Friday in its home at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas (2-14-1) are scheduled to finish the three-game series with the Wildcats (6-7) with a doubleheader on Saturday (12:05 p.m.).
ON THE MOUND
Losing pitcher Michael Brettell (1-3) allowed three runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven. Jack Collins and Cameron Miller pitched in relief.
Quinn Lavelle (2-1) earned the win, allowing four hits and one run.
AT THE PLATE
Evan Kratt collected a team-high two hits for Central Michigan. Jason Sullivan, Jacob Crum, Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Zavier Warren added one apiece.
The Chippewas outhit the Wildcats, 6-4.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northwestern jumped to a 2-0 lead on a Jack Claeys two-out, two-run double. The Wildcats went up 3-0 in the second on a homer by Leo Kaplan. The Chippewas got an unearned run in the second inning and pulled to 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth on a Zach Gilles sacrifice fly.
CMU COACH Steve Jaksa
"It's great to play at home. It would've been greater if we got the win in the game, but we didn't. They scored three runs in the first two innings and we weren't able to answer. That really was the essence of the game."
"We're going to get to where everybody has the consistency of an approach and of a swing. There were a couple guys that had some at-bats that they would love to have back. They haven't been swinging like that, but they did, so we can't let them get frustrated. They have to learn and understand by playing."
