Huskies Drop Series Opener 10-8 To Western Michigan - Northern Illinois University Athletics

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Western Michigan

5/8/2021 | 12:00 PM

DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team had a season-high 16 hits Friday afternoon but could not keep up with the high-powered Western Michigan Broncos in a 10-8 loss at Ralph McKinzie Field.
 
"It was a day for offense," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Western Michigan's bats had a day. We just have to execute with a runner on third and less than two outs. We had three opportunities to do that and didn't score. If we do that and clean up the little things, we could change the difference in the game."
 
NIU's (10-29, 9-16 MAC) offense came alive in the second inning after falling behind 5-0. Senior first baseman Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) started the rally with a single to left field. Freshman Jack Blazevich (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) then put the Huskies on the board with a two-run home run over the left field fence to make the score 5-2. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) followed with a double down the left field line, getting to third on a Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) bunt single.
 
Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland C.C.) put the score at 5-3 following a sacrifice fly that scored Erato and allowed Joyce to reach second base. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) got the Huskies within a run with a triple to right field that brought Joyce around to score. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) tied the game 5-5 with a single to right field that scored Smith.
 
Western Michigan (16-19, 15-10 MAC) took back the lead in the top of the fourth on a Sean O'Keefe two-run home run that made the score 7-5. The Huskies quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run off the bat of Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) to tie the game at seven. Dylan Lonteen followed with an infield single. Larson then hit a double to centerfield, reaching third on a throw from Broncos centerfielder Blake Dunn that got Lonteen out at home plate trying to score.
 
The Broncos took a 9-7 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run by Justin McIntyre. Western Michigan threatened to break the game open with two runners on base and two out but NIU reliever Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) got O'Keefe to fly out to end the threat. NIU had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth with runners at first and second and one out. However, Western Michigan reliever Dane Ambrustmacher struck out Larson and Blazevich to keep the visitors in front.
 
Dunham made it a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth. The senior catcher cracked his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot, over the right centerfield fence to put the score at 9-8. The Broncos got the run back in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from Dunn to take a 10-8 lead into the bottom of the ninth. NIU got the tying run to the plate with one out following an Erato walk. Brendan Lovell came in from the Western Michigan bullpen and got a double play to end the game and give the Broncos a 10-8 victory.
 
Dunham was 3-for-5 with two RBI, extending his current hitting streak to eight games. Larson also was 3-for-5 on the day. Erato, Lonteen and Smith each had a pair of hits in the game. Michaels threw 3.1 innings of shutout relief, allowing three hits and two walks.
 
The two teams will play two seven-inning games on Saturday, May 8 beginning at 12 p.m.
 
--NIU--
 

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Huskies Drop Series Opener 10-8 To Western Michigan - Northern Illinois University Athletics
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