Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Matt Watras/The Daily Northwestern Catcher Chad Noble (19) and coach Paul Stevens (right) visit pitcher Matt Diedrich on the mound in the seventh inning of the Cats' loss. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Matt Watras/The Daily Northwestern Freshman pitcher David Jensen gave up four runs in 1.1 innings in Northwestern's 10-1 loss to Valparaiso on Tuesday. He was the fourth of six pitchers the Wildcats used against the Crusaders. [Click to enlarge]

By Chris Gentilviso
The Daily Northwestern

After freshman Cole Livermore's 10-inning, complete game victory Sunday, Northwestern coach Paul Stevens was ready to let his bullpen loose against Valparaiso on Tuesday afternoon.

But the result didn't match his expectations.

The Crusaders (11-19) feasted on a committee of six Wildcats arms, handing NU a 10-1 defeat in its first midweek game of the season. Starter Andrew Smith, who was pulled after two innings with the Cats trailing 1-0, took the loss.

"They put the ball in play and got a couple of weak base hits," he said. "It's frustrating. I did what I could."

But three innings after Smith departed, Valparaiso broke the game open. Third baseman Matt Manthei smashed a three-run homer off NU freshman Jonathan Purcell to extend the Crusaders' lead to 6-0. The shot was off the third pitch thrown by Purcell, who hadn't seen action since a three-inning relief appearance against Michigan on April 1.

"I wasn't very impressed with what I saw," Stevens said. "There were some real disappointing innings from a few of our young kids who I was hoping would show us something. That just didn't happen today."

Valparaiso sealed the game in the seventh. After an intentional walk to Manthei to load the bases, NU reliever David Jensen walked in a run. First baseman Matt Schoeck followed with a two-run single, prompting Stevens to pull Jensen with the Cats down 10-0.

While Stevens' hurlers each saw no more than three innings on the hill, the Cats entered the ninth inning with only two hits at the plate.

NU's offense appeared poised for a fast start, loading the bases off a Jake Owens double, Antonio Mulé single and Jake Goebbert hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first. Senior Caleb Fields stepped to the plate, but grounded into a fielder's choice on the first pitch, forcing Owens out at home. Senior Mike Kalina followed with a 6-4-3 double play, killing the threat.

"It was pretty tough to swallow," Stevens said of the missed first-inning opportunity.

The Cats went hitless over the next seven innings, going down 1-2-3 in four of those frames.

Owens, NU's leadoff man, is hitting 13 for 51 (.255) in his last 13 games after hitting .400 going into conference play.

He cited the offensive woes as a team-wide issue.

"We're struggling a little bit right now," he said. "People aren't seeing the ball and people aren't hitting the ball square. It's not just one of us. It's everyone."

Valparaiso awarded NU six walks in the final three innings, granting the Cats several chances to get on the board.

With Kalina on first after a ninth-inning walk, sophomore Tony Vercelli staged and won a battle with Valparaiso pitcher Jay Clites, doubling the ninth pitch of the at-bat to left field to break the shutout.

But poor defense helped Vercelli and the Cats record the late-game run. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, the designated hitter popped up a fastball into foul territory. With out number two waiting in the air, Crusaders first baseman Mark Schoeck dropped the ball.

"If you get a second chance you have to take advantage of it," Vercelli said. "You don't really get in the groove if you don't see the same pitcher, which works in their favor. But it's no excuse. We just didn't take advantage of the opportunities they gave us today.

After a disappointing nine-run loss in a game several players cited as crucial for carrying momentum off Sunday's comeback victory against Illinois, the focus quickly turned to this weekend's four-game set against Penn State.

"It's real big," Smith said. "The rest of the season hinges on what we do in this next series. We can't afford to lay down again. We have to pick up some wins, or else we'll have to pack it in."

Reach Chris Gentilviso at c-gentilviso@northwestern.edu.

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