Feb. 26, 2009

Final Stats

Final Box

Tempe, Ariz. - In its first game in the DeMarini Classic at Arizona State's Packard Stadium, the Northern Illinois baseball team fell to Oregon State 23-7 on Thursday afternoon after two nine-run innings created too much of a deficit for the Huskies (1-4) to overcome.

"It's a real difficult situation when you have guys with the ball in their hand that can't find the strike-zone," said NIU head coach Ed Mathey. You will find yourself in trouble in you can't throw strikes against any team, let alone the two-time national champs. They absolutely took advantage of it today."

The Beavers (2-1), who totaled 20 hits on the day, broke the game open early with a nine-run second inning on six hits, three of which were for extra bases. Outfielder Rob Folsom did the most damage with a three-run triple. Folsom again led the charge for OSU in its second nine-run inning that came in the seventh as he had two of the Beavers' six hits and three RBI in the frame.

Beaver starter Greg Peavey (1-0) earned the win after allowing three earned runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. NIU starter senior Brandon Copp (Aurora, Ill./West) took the loss (0-2) after lasting only one inning and giving up nine earned runs on five hits and six walks with one strikeout.

Folsom led the OSU offense with four hits and seven RBI while Stefen Romero, Jared Norris and Joey Wong each drove in three runs apiece.

Freshman Troy White (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) led the Huskies with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate with a walk and three RBI. Sophomore Joe Etcheverry drove in two runs with one double on the day.

"Troy had a great day at the plate and also made some good defensive plays," Mathey said. "He started a couple double-plays and also made a nice backhand play.

"I thought Zach Oates (Wheaton, Ill./North) threw the ball well, too. We have to go back to the drawing board tomorrow and get things done. It starts on the mound because we didn't have a chance today."

OSU struck early again for three runs in the third as Romero had a sacrifice fly, Folsom had an RBI single and Carter Bell drove in a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Beavers added two more runs in the ninth on back-to-back home runs to lead off the inning by Norris and Romero.

The Huskies scored two runs in the second to cut into the OSU lead, 9-2, after a two-run double to left-center by Etcheverry (Bakersfield, Calif./Centennial) scored senior Matt Behren (Elmwood Park, Ill./Holy Cross) and junior Dave Reynolds (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg).

NIU scored another run in the sixth after senior Justin Behm (Downers Grove, Ill./North) walked and Behren singled to set up White's RBI single through the left side.

In the seventh, the Huskies scored three runs on one hit and two Beaver errors. With two outs, junior Nick Morreale (Vernon Hills, Ill. Mesa C.C. (Ariz.)) walked and Reynolds reached on an error by the second baseman. Behm then walked and freshman Brett Frantini (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) singled, allowing Morreale and Reynolds to score. White then knocked another RBI single through the right side to score Behm.

The Huskies pushed their final run across the plate in the ninth after White's fourth hit of the day drove in scored freshman Tom Barry (Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic), who pinch ran for senior Nick Badgley (McHenry, Ill./McHenry C.C.) after he walked and advanced to second on a Frantini ground out.

The Huskies return to Packard Stadium tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. CT to face DeMarini Invite host Arizona State (5-0). Fans can follow live via GameTracker on www.niuhuskies.com.

-NIU-

Huskie Notes

- Brett Frantini got a two-run single in his first collegiate at-bat.

- Kyle Glancy made his first career appearance in right field.

- Nick Morreale scored his first run in a Huskie uniform.

- Freshman Jake Hermsen (New London, Wis./New London) made his first appearance on the mound.

- Troy White has recorded multi-hit games in two of his three starts this season, going 7-for-12 with four RBI and two runs scored in those three games.

-White is the first Huskie to get at least four hits since Joe Etcheverry had five vs. Illinois State on April 23, 2008.

- Zach Oates made his second straight scoreless appearance by pitching an inning, giving up a hit and getting two strikeouts.