Sullivan, Wildcats’ bats lead Northwestern to win in home opener
On Opening Day at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park, Northwestern jumped on the University of St. Thomas early and cruised to a 9-0 win in the first game of a doubleheader. Seven different Wildcats recorded a hit, and Sean Sullivan tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out a season-high 11 batters.
Even with temperatures in the high 30’s at first pitch, the ‘Cats started the game hot, taking the lead in the first inning. Sullivan struck out the side in order in the top of the first, and Stephen Hrustich walked with one out in the bottom half of the inning to begin the rally. Hrustich stole second base and came around to score on Jay Beshears’ RBI single. Vincent Bianchina followed by splitting the right-center gap with a triple, plating Beshears and giving Northwestern a 2-0 advantage.
The Wildcats’ offense flexed its muscles again in the second inning. Tommy D’Alise hammered the first pitch of the frame from UST starter Graham Laubscher over the right-center field fence, his second home run of the season. After a groundout, J.C. Santini connected with his first longball this year, extending the lead to 4-0. Anthony Calarco followed with a double and scored on Hrustich’s run-scoring double to left field, making it 5-0.
Sullivan shined in his first career start in Evanston, collecting a strikeout in each of his seven innings on the mound. The southpaw did not issue a walk until the sixth and allowed just one baserunner to reach scoring position in the three-hit shutout.
Northwestern padded its lead in the bottom of the fifth with four insurance runs. Ethan O’Donnell led off the inning with his team-leading eighth double of the season, and Jay Beshears brought O’Donnell home with his second RBI single of the game. Laubscher was pulled after Andrew Pinkston’s sacrifice bunt, and with two runners on base against Tommies’ reliever Kevin Millar, D’Alise smashed his second home run of the game to left field.
The 9-0 lead was more than enough for Sullivan, who retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced. The freshman finished the shutout with two strikeouts in the seventh inning, including fanning Jake Porter to end the game. Sullivan improved his record to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.71 on the season.
Beshears and D'Alise paced the 'Cats with two hits each, and Northwestern (3-10) played an error-free game on defense. Laubscher dropped to 0-3 for St. Thomas (2-9), who only managed 3 hits in its fourth consecutive loss.