April 2, 2011
Game One Final Stats| Game One Final Box in PDF Format 
Game Two Final Stats | Game Two Final Box in PDF Format
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G1: Northern Illinois 9, Buffalo 4
G2: Northern Illinois 12, Buffalo 4
McGraw-Jennings Field | St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
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G 1
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1 |
2 |
3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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R
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H
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E
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| NIU |
0
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0
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4
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0
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0
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2
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0
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0
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3
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9
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13
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0
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| UB |
0
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0
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0
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1
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1
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0
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2
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0
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0
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4
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11
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1
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W: Oates (2-4) L: Crumb (2-4) |
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G 2
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1 |
2 |
3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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R
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H
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E
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| NIU |
1
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2
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0
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2
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1
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0
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0
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5
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1
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12
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17
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1
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| UB |
1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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3
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0
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4
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8
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0
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W: Barry (2-1) L: Edwards (1-4)
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Player of the Doubleheader
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Alex Jones
4-for-11 (.364)
6 RBI
3 R
2 2B
1 HR
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ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The Northern Illinois baseball team swept both ends of a doubleheader with Buffalo on Saturday, winning 9-4 and 12-4. NIU starting pitchers Zach Oates and Tom Barry limited the UB offense to a mere two earned runs over a combined 13 innings of work.
The two wins over the Bulls (7-17, 0-5 Mid-American Conference) move Northern Illinois (9-14, 3-2 MAC) over .500 in conference play for the season. The NIU pitching staff, as well as a barrage of hits from the offense, ensured a pair of comfortable victories for the Huskies at St. Bonaventure.
The Huskies took a 4-0 lead in the third inning of game one, and never looked back. Sophomore Jamison Wells started the inning with a double to left, the first of what would be four NIU extra-base knocks of the frame. Junior Alex Jones followed with a double of his own, tattooing a pitch to right field to drive in Wells. Senior Joe Etcheverry joined the action with an RBI double to plate Jones. Capping off the offensive outburst was freshman Jeff Zimmerman, who belted his second long ball of the year.
“The guys were swinging the bats well all day,” said NIU head coach Ed Mathey. “We kept the pressure on them, which was a good thing to see from our guys.”
On the mound, staff ace Zach Oates struck out four over six innings of two-run baseball. The senior was around the zone all day, as he allowed only one walk and scattered eight hits over the outing. Oates’ record improved to 2-4 on the season as relievers Alex Klonowski, Tony Manville, and Jake Hermsen protected the 6-2 lead he left with.
“Zach Oates was up to the task; he did a real nice job,” Mathey said. “He did a nice job of keeping them off-balance. They made him work for it, though. He did a good job of attacking the plate.”
The hitter’s spotlight shone on Joe Etcheverry in game one. “Etch”, in addition to his run-scoring double, added another three hits to a perfect 4-for-4 game. The men at the top of the order, Wells and Jones, contributed a pair of hits each in support of the Huskies’ first victory of the day.
“Joe was hitting the ball well today,” Mathey said. “When a guy like that in the middle of your lineup does that, it sets up the rest of the lineup well. He was barreling up the ball a lot. We hope he continues to hit like that.”
NIU cruised to a 6-1 lead entering the top of the eighth in game two before the putting the dagger in the Bulls’ comeback aspirations. Freshman Trey Lang started the assault with a one-out single through a hole in the left side of the infield, his third of the game. Wells then reached on a fielder’s choice and Cory Krupp singled up the middle, putting two men in scoring position for Alex Jones. The junior shortstop stepped up with a poke over the left field wall, a shot that could only be described as timely for the Huskies. The bases-clearing blast was Jones’ second of the season and tied him for the team lead with Jeff Zimmerman.
“Prior to [Jones’ homer], all the runs were scored with two outs, some were two strike hits,” said Mathey. “We were picking each other up. When an offense is clicking like that, it makes it tough on the opponent. Jones got a pitch to hit and put it up in the jet stream. That was a big hit and gave us the breathing room we needed.”
The Huskies weren’t satisfied yet, as Zimmerman and Troy White rebooted the scoring machine that inning with RBI doubles after Jones’ shot. When the dust settled, NIU scored five runs on five hits in the eighth.
Senior Cory Krupp turned in his best day in a Huskie uniform, as he posted personal bests for hits (4) and RBIs (3) in game two. Trey Lang’s three hits were a collegiate best in his young career, and freshman Chris Divarco secured his first collegiate single in a ninth-inning pinch-hit appearance.
NIU’s play on the mound matched their performance at the dish. The late-inning scoring binge assured starting pitcher Tom Barry (2-1) his third straight multiple-win season. The junior followed up Oates’ terrific game one with an arguably better one of his own. Barry struck out four and allowed one run on four hits over seven quality innings.
“Doubleheaders in general aren’t easy to win both games,” Mathey said. “Around 70 percent of the time you split. To win two on the road in MAC play is a good thing. We have a chance to get after a sweep tomorrow. Hopefully we will bring the same energy.”
The Huskies wrap-up the three-game set with the Bulls Sunday. The game is slated for an 11:00 a.m. CT first pitch at St. Bonaventure University’s McGraw-Jennings Field.
-NIU-
