After an early-season stumble, Northwestern rebounded at the Hub City Invitational, going 4-0 with two victories apiece over Cornell and Boston College as its win streak reached five.<\/p>\n
Offensive production and late rallies were the keys to victory in the Wildcats\u2019 (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) successful outings in Spartanburg, South Carolina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In their first game versus the Big Red, the \u2019Cats were dominant at the plate, eventually winning 13-5.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a mix of rookies and veterans who controlled the game for NU, including two RBIs respectively from seniors Jack Lausch and Owen McElfatrick and freshmen Nick Barron and Jay Slater.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Graduate student pitcher Sam Hliboki, who was recently named one of the 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch, earned his first win of the season, striking out six through five innings, tying his Northwestern record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two of the \u2019Cats\u2019 highly-acclaimed transfers had notable outings as well, with TCU transfer pitcher Tommy Bridges fanning four across three scoreless innings to earn his first career save and UCLA transfer outfielder Logan de Groot earning his first RBI as a NU player.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Combined with the \u2019Cats\u2019 17 runs scored against Rice the game before, the 30 total runs are the most over a two-game span for NU since 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the \u2019Cats\u2019 second game against Cornell, Lausch came to the rescue with a walkoff two-run single in the bottom of the 11th inning, allowing NU to pull off a 6-5 win and sweep Cornell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unlike in the first game, it was the \u2019Cats\u2019 bullpen and resilience that kept them afloat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Junior pitcher Garrett Shearer and sophomore reliever Christian Forniss each tossed three scoreless innings to hold the Big Red bats at bay. Freshman left-handed pitcher Dominic DeLoreto earned his first collegiate win in the game, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a similar story in NU\u2019s first matchup with the Eagles as the \u2019Cats came from behind to win 5-4.<\/p>\n
With Boston College up 4-2 in the sixth inning, Barron drilled his second career home run and then was quickly followed by a two-RBI triple from junior infielder Jack Counsell to take the lead for NU and eventually the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freshman pitcher Jake Rifenburg mowed down two Eagles batters en route to 3.1 scoreless innings and the Downers Grove, Illinois native\u2019s first career victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In NU\u2019s last game of the invitational and its second versus Boston College, it was once again a late offensive effort that proved to be decisive in its 8-5 triumph.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the eighth inning, the \u2019Cats scored seven runs off singles from Barron, Slater and graduate student infielder Noah Ruiz, but mainly off numerous wild pitches from the Eagles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Freshman pitcher Justin Fryer struck out two through 2.2 innings to secure his first career win as a Wildcat.<\/p>\n
The victories reflect the team\u2019s balanced mix of seasoned contributors with fresh faces, a foundation for what NU fans hope to be a much-improved season.<\/p>\n
The \u2019Cats have their work cut out for them if they want to keep their winning streak alive as they face undefeated No. 5 Georgia Tech on the road Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Email: [email\u00a0protected]\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n X: @charlie_perlman<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories:<\/p>\n Baseball: Northwestern looking to build on 2025 success with offseason acquisitions<\/a><\/p>\n Baseball: Northwestern\u2019s season ends after consecutive losses to No. 14 UCLA<\/a><\/p>\n