Final Stats

NIU-Buffalo DH Box Scores

WESTFIELD, Ind. - NIU baseball (11-10, 2-0 MAC) swept its Mid-American Conference opening doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Grand Park as the Huskies clinched the series over Buffalo (3-12, 0-2 MAC) thanks to strong pitching performances including a combined two hitter in game one, 3-1, 3-2.

Ben Neumann (Verona, Wis./Verona) struckout eight batters with only one hit in 7.0 shutout innings while Dirk Ormsby (Ligonier, Ind./Kellogg Community College) earned his fourth win of the season with a career-high 8.0 innings and five strikeouts. Andrew Frankenreider (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) picked up two saves on the day, becoming the first NIU pitcher since Kyle Glancy on April 15, 2012 at Miami (Ohio) to accomplish the feat. Kevin Sweeney (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) tossed 1.0 inning in game one, helping Neumann complete the two-hitter.

"We did a great job on the mound today. Neumann, Dirk, Sweeney and Frank were lights out," said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis, "offensively, we played Huskieball and moved guys around and capitalized on some miscues.

"It was good to get the series win today. As I've said all year, it is very difficult to win both ends of a doubleheader. This was a good team day and we look forward to getting back at it tomorrow," closed Kunigonis.

NIU and Buffalo will close the series tomorrow at 11 a.m. Central time at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

GAME ONE
Neumann opened the doubleheader with 5.1 hitless innings and faced 24 batters of a possible 21 in the game. The senior lefty struckout eight on the bump, catching two looking at a called third strike in the second inning, as he only allowed one hit in the game.

Offensively, the Huskies opened up strong as they scored one run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead. Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb), who finished with two singles in the game, also added two runs as he reached base with two outs in the first and was driven home on a Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College) double.

Justin Fletcher (Pekin, Ill./Illinois Central College) scored NIU's second run on a passed ball in the second while Tony Brandner (Richfield, Wis./Winthrop) drove home Sisler in the third to put the Huskies on top, 3-0.

After breaking up the no-hitter in the sixth, Buffalo freshman Charlie Sobieraski led the eighth inning with a triple off the right field fence which led to Justin Gonzalez's sacrifice fly and broke up the NIU shutout, 3-1. Sweeney tossed 14 pitches in the eighth, 10 for strikes, fanning one with the lone hit.

Frankenreider tossed a perfect ninth inning, forcing three grounders to pick up his fifth save of the game. Sisler was the lone Huskie to collect multiple hits in the game while Fletcher was 1-for-2 with two walks, a double, a stolen base and a run.

GAME TWO
Ormsby carried himself with a bend but don't break attitude on the mound as he allowed his six hits in the game through the first 4.0 innings of the game. He allowed one run in the third and the game-tying run in the fifth from a fielding error, 2-2.

In his final four innings on the mound, Ormsby faced 14 batters, only allowing two runners to reach base in that time. The senior finished with five punch outs, one walk and one earned run.

At the plate, NIU converted its three runs from sacrifice flies, scoring one in the first, fourth and eighth innings.

Jason Gasser (Dyer, Ind./Mt. Carmel), who went 2-for-5 at the plate in game two, led the game with a single and advanced to third on a failed pickoff, setting up Sisler's sacrifice fly. UB tied the game in the third inning, 1-1, but the Huskies would reclaim the lead in fourth inning.

Stephen Letz (Dyer, Ind./South Suburban College) and Fletcher were each hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. A single by Johnny Zubeck (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) loaded the bases for Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) who recorded NIU's second sac fly of the game.

The Huskies go-ahead run was driven home by Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) in the eighth as Gasser again singled and advanced to third on a failed pickoff move. Frankenreider again tossed a perfect ninth inning, striking out two in the frame to earn his sixth save of the game.