It might just be consecutive series wins and a couple of mid-week nonconference victories, but Spencer Allen’s team looks to be turning a corner.
Thanks to a solid start from Tommy Bordignon, the Northwestern Wildcats (12-20, 2-4 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 6-2 win over Bradley on Wednesday night in Peoria. Bordignon held the Braves (13-17, 0-3 Missouri Valley) to a pair of runs in his six strong innings, with six punchouts.
And, for the fourth-straight game, the Wildcats’ bullpen didn’t give up an inch, as Tyler Lass, Sam Lawrence and Danny Katz each threw a scoreless frame to hold the lead.
The offense got going early, as Joe Hoscheit drove in Jack Dunn with a sacrifice fly that put Northwestern up 1-0 against Bradley starter Mitch Janssen. Hoscheit made it 2-0 a few innings later on a hard-hit single to center.
Meanwhile, Bordignon didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when Spencer Gaa reached base on an infield single to Dunn. Gaa would score on Luke Mangieri’s double, and Bradley tied the game at two with Andy Shadid’s single. But, unlike in some of his bad innings this season, Bordignon bounced back and made it through the sixth without allowing any more runs.
Northwestern wasted a few baserunners in the fifth and sixth, but broke through in the seventh when Alex Erro ripped a two-run, two-out double down the left field line to break the game open. The Wildcats added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth to cruise to the win.
After beating Western Michigan on Tuesday and Bradley on Wednesday, Spencer Allen’s crew has Thursday off before heading to Champaign on Friday for a three-game set with Illinois. Bradley hosts the Wichita State Shockers over the weekend.