April 19, 2003
| Box
Score |
R
|
H
|
E
|
| Bowling
Green State |
10
|
13
|
0
|
| Northern
Illinois |
4
|
10
|
2
|
Game Two Postponed
PAIR OF ERRORS
COST NORTHERN ILLINOIS BASEBALL A 10-4 DECISION TO BOWLING GREEN STATE
DeKALB, IL - With two less at-bats during the first game of the Mid-American
Conference's doubleheaders, every play means that much more. For the Northern
Illinois University baseball team, two plays made a world of difference
as they dropped a 10-4 decision on Saturday (April 19) to Bowling Green
State University. Inclement weather forced the postponement of the second
game to Sunday.
Twice the contest
was stopped because of lightning. The two delays took one minute longer
(two hours and two minutes) than the time to play the actual game (two
hours and one minute). Northern Illinois drops to 19-13 with a 6-4 league
record. BGSU improves to 12-14 while evening its MAC record at 5-5.
"I thought the
weather was negligible. The way the game was going had a bigger effect,"
NIU skipper Ed Mathey said. "We didn't make a couple of plays
and BG took advantage of them. We make those errors and then have some
mistakes running the bases and those two factors cost us. You can't make
mistakes like that in a seven inning game."
Getting off to a fast
start, the Huskies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first
off Falcon starter Keith Laughlin. Center fielder Jeremy Busch
(Genoa / Genoa-Kingston) picked up his fifth hit in six at-bats with a
single to start the frame, followed by a double from third baseman Rob
Marconi (LaGrange / Lyons). Shortstop Joe Mazzuca (Elmwood
Park / Holy Cross) plated the first run of the game with single to score
Busch.
After Mazzuca was
thrown out at second, left fielder Dan Urban (Matteson / Richton
Park Rich South) delivered a single to score Marconi. One out later, first
baseman Scott Simon (Algonqiun / Woodstock Marian Central Catholic)
doubled to score Urban then crossed the plate himself on a single from
second baseman Greg Larsen (Morris)
The Falcons got to
Huskie starter Zach Minor (Moline) in the third for a trio of runs
then took the lead with four more in the fourth. All of BGSU's run in
both innings came with two outs and the ones in the fourth were unearned
after a Minor error. The visitors added three more runs in the sixth,
two unearned, on an error by pitcher Jim Caine (St. Charles).
Six of the Huskies
ten hits came from Marconi, Mazzuca and Simon as they each picked up two
apiece. Unfortunately for NIU it was caught stealing twice and had several
other base running mistakes. After the fourth Laughlin was in control,
giving up just four hits with no Huskie getting past second base.
"You have to
give their pitcher some credit," Mathey noted. "He made some
adjustments after giving up four runs in the first inning and had us off
balance."
Due to the inclement
weather, the two teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday (April 20).
The day begins with a seven-inning game at noon (EST), followed by a nine-inning
affair.
--- Copy by Michael
Smoose
-30-
