April 13, 2007
Box Score
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DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois dropped an 8-3 decision to Miami Friday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field. The MAC East leading RedHawks used a five-run sixth inning to improve to 18-10 overall and 7-1 in the MAC while the Huskies fall to 18-11, 7-3 with their first loss in a MAC series opener this season.
A pitching duel between John Ely and Trevor Feeney developed over the first four and a half innings. NIU right fielder Danny Reed erased Miami's first scoring threat in the fourth inning when he threw out Jordan Petraitis, who was trying to score from second on a single, at the plate to end the frame.
The Huskies put the game's first run on the board one inning later on a Matt Behren single that scored Jordin Hood, who had reached on a single of his own, for a 1-0 lead in the fifth.
The RedHawks then scored five times on six hits in the sixth, including runs on a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Petraitis, Chris Niro and Josh Hula to take a 5-1 advantage.
Miami extended its lead to 7-1 by scoring two in the seventh on an error and a sacrifice fly before the Huskies answered to trim the lead back to 7-3. Dave Reynolds' had a pinch-hit RBI groundout and Pat Minogue delivered a RBI single for two NIU seventh-run tallies.
Petraitis added a RBI single, his second of the contest, in the eighth to cap the game scoring at 8-3.
MU's John Ely (5-2) earned the win by tossing 8.0 innings with three earned runs, no walks and nine strikeouts. Huskie starter Trevor Feeney (4-3) absorbed his first conference loss of the season after fanning six and yielding five earned runs in 6.1 innings of work.
Minogue, Reed and Hood each had two hits to lead the NIU offense.
Game two of the series is Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
HUSKIE TRACKS ...
-Danny Reed extended his hit streak to seven games, his second longest streak this season (15).
-NIU has stolen a base in nine of 10 MAC contests this season.
-Trevor Feeney issued just one walk and has only walked three hitters against 26 strikeouts in 32.2 conference innings.
-Brett Kellam has not allowed a run in his last three appearances on the mound, totaling 4.0 innings with just one hit during that span.
