March 25, 2006
Box Score
ATHENS, OH -
Northern Illinois dropped its MAC opener 8-6 to the Ohio Bobcats in the first of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The loss slips NIU to 5-13, 0-1 while Ohio improves to 6-7, 1-0.
Ohio opened the scoring by plating three runs on five hits in their first at-bat and scored a single run in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead early in the game.
NIU responded with a five-run third to take a 5-4 lead. Scott Simon singled home Marc Besteman, Jesse Seykora blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall, scoring Simon and Brian Toner, and Matt Behren singled home Jeff Thomas in the Huskie outburst.
The Bobcats evened the game in their half of the third with a RBI single from Kirk Payne.
NIU regained the lead at 6-5 in the seventh inning when Thomas singled in Simon, who doubled earlier in the inning.
A solo home run by Ohio's Anthony Gressick again knotted the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh. The Bobcats then took the lead in the eighth on a RBI single by Jason Selhorst, who later scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run.
The Huskies threatened in the ninth but the game ended with two runners in scoring position and the potential go-ahead run at the plate.
Simon paced the NIU offense with a season-best four-for-four performance and two runs scored. Seykora led the Huskies with three RBI on two hits while Thomas added three hits and Toner, Behren, and Pat Minogue each added two hits in the contest.
Nick Hall started the game for NIU and threw 6.2 innings before Brandon Copp (0-2) took the loss in relief. Ohio's Yale Silverman (1-0) notched his first win of the season and Chris Rigo collected his second save.
Brian Smith (1-4) is scheduled to be the Huskie starter on the mound in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.
NOTABLE HUSKIE TRACKS ...
-Jesse Seykora has hit safely in eight straight games dating back to March 10.
-Scott Simon's four hits moved him into third place on the all-time NIU record list.
-Matt Behren's two hits were a career-high.
-The Huskies 15 hits marked the fourth time in the last five games that they have 10 or more hits.
-NIU has dropped three consecutive MAC openers, two of which were on the road.
