Final Stats

DeKALB - Trailing by 10 runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning, three NIU (13-14) home runs - including two in the bottom of the ninth inning - brought the Huskies within two runs of UW-Milwaukee (12-8) but Northern Illinois University fell to the Panthers, 13-11. NIU accounted for all of its 11 runs and 14 of their 15 hits in the final five innings.

Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three RBI and two runs while Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) was 4-for-6 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs. Micah McCulloch (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle township) also hit a homer, finish 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs.

Jumonville's two home runs marked the first time since May 3, 2014 that an NIU player hit two homers in a game. Brandon Mallder hit an inside the park leadoff home run and followed up with a three-run homer to help NIU defeat Kent State, 6-5.

"We showed real fight today. Our guys battled until the very last out. I sound like a broke record but we are still working on consistency and approach day in and day out," said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis. We are close to being a championship team. We need to keep working and keep getting better."

UW-Milwaukee struck first blood in the second inning as it scored one run, followed by six more in the third inning to take a 7-0 lead through three. Only Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College) recorded a hit in the first four frames for NIU, extending his on-base streak to 26-straight games.

After the Huskies put up a three-spot in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut their deficit to five runs, 8-3, the Panthers responded with five runs in the top of the sixth to jump out to a 10-run lead, 13-3, the biggest margin of the game.

NIU responded in the bottom of the sixth with four runs on five hits of their own to close the gap to six runs, 13-7. The NIU pitching staff shored up its defenses in the final three innings as it only allowed two baserunners and one hit in the final third of the game.

Andrew Frankenreider (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) fanned two batters in the eighth inning of his 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing zero hits.

Trailing 13-8 in the bottom of the ninth, Stephen Letz (Dyer, Ind./South Suburban College) singled to start the rally for the Huskies. After fouling off his first pitch from Panther Justin Jaquish, McCulloch tattooed the second pitch he saw over the left field fence to bring NIU within three runs, 13-10.

Justin Fletcher (Pekin, Ill./Illinois Central College) looked to have a single to the gap but a diving catch by left fielder Dalton Varsho recorded NIU's second out. Jumonville hammered his second homer of the game to left centerfield to make it 13-11. Wood's fourth hit of the game brought the tying run to the plate but closer Cody Peterson picked up his fifth save of the year as he forced Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) for UWM in the effort to stop NIU's comeback.

The Huskies will return to action on Friday when it hosts Kent State for an Easter Weekend series with the Golden Flashes. First pitch on Friday is set for 3:05 p.m.