By Jake Simpson The Daily Northwestern
For the first time in a month, the Wildcats gave as good as they got in a Big Ten series.
Displaying a resiliency that had been lacking in previous weekends, Northwestern split four games with Minnesota in a series worthy of ESPN Classic.
No game was decided by more than two runs, with two of the contests coming down to the final at-bat.
"This was a weekend where a lot of things came together," senior Caleb Fields said. "Everybody on the team from one to 28 was real happy to take a couple from Minnesota."
The drama began Friday, when NU (13-32, 5-19 Big Ten) rallied for its first Big Ten win since April 15. Trailing 5-4 after five innings, the Cats exploded for five runs in the sixth.
Fields provided the big blow, lacing a two-out, two-run double to give NU a 9-5 lead. The senior finished the game 4 for 5 with three RBIs.
To protect the lead, NU coach Paul Stevens called to the Cats' new bullpen ace: senior Ryan Myers. The three-year starter made the most of the rare relief appearance, holding the Golden Gophers (33-10, 14-5) to two runs in three innings to finish off the 9-7 victory.
"I like (coming out of the bullpen)," Myers said. "It's an adrenaline rush, trying to protect other people's leads. It's a different kind of a pressure, but I enjoy it."
Visions of a sweep were dashed Saturday, when the Cats dropped consecutive 5-4 heartbreakers.
In the opener of the twinbill, senior Mike Kalina laced a first-inning single to give NU an early 2-0 lead. Kalina, who a month ago was not a regular in the starting lineup, continued his torrid hitting, going 7 for 17 for the weekend to raise his season average to .294.
"I've been waiting for my break to come," Kalina said. "Once it came, I just haven't let it leave."
The Gophers evened the score in the bottom of the first against senior Dan Schwartz. The game stayed close throughout, and going into the bottom of the seventh the score was tied at 4. The Gophers scored the winning run against Schwartz, riding two singles and an error for the 5-4 win.
The final inning proved equally tragic for the Cats in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Down by three runs going into the seventh, NU staged a frantic rally but came up just short, falling by an identical score.
Despite the frustrating back-to-back losses, Stevens said his team's play told the story.
"We had a couple bounces go against us," he said. "But we just flat-out outplayed Minnesota in every game this weekend."
NU saved its best performance for last, pulling out Sunday's game despite squandering a three-run lead.
Keyed by a two-run double by junior Max Mann, the Cats jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings.
Senior Andrew Smith, the Cats' rejuvenated pitcher, protected that lead. Just five months removed from knee surgery, Smith executed in his first Big Ten start of the year, holding the Gophers to two runs in the first six innings.
"(Smith) is a freak," Myers said. "He had ACL surgery five months ago, and now he's out there pitching for us. It's incredible."
Smith left in the seventh, as the team looked to Myers to save his second game of the series. But the Gophers pushed across three runs to tie the score at 5, and the game remained knotted through nine innings.
In the 10th, the Cats took the lead on the biggest of gambles: a squeeze bunt from pinch hitter Geoff Dietz. Myers shut down Minnesota in the bottom half of the inning, and the Cats had a 6-5 win and a series split.
"This is the best four games we've put together all year," Myers said.
Reach Jake Simpson at james-simpson@northwestern.edu.
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