Final Stats

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth with the NIU baseball team (5-6) was unable to stave off Southern Illinois' (2-10) walk-off attempt as the Salukis drew a bases loaded walk to defeat the Huskies, 5-4.

"It was a tough loss for us today," said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis, "we didn't play Huskieball today and it was reflected on the scoreboard. SIU played better than and deserved to win that that game. We will bounce back and be ready to play two tomorrow."

Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) was 3-for-4 with a double while Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College) added two runs with an RBI single.

The Huskies went on the board first with three runs in the top of the first inning, scoring all three runs with two outs. After Sisler singled and Letz earned a walk, Ruzich singled to centerfield to score Sisler and push Letz to third. An error at first allowed Letz to score NIU's second, followed by a single by Woods to close the Huskies scoring in the frame, 3-0.

In the bottom of the inning, SIU responded with two runs to close the gap to one run, 3-2, as the Salukis recorded three hits in the frame. Southern Illinois tied it up in the bottom of the second as leadoff hitter Taylor Martin doubled and was sacrificed over to third, before scoring on a ground out.

The Huskies responded in the top of the third as Ruzich walked and took advantage of a passed ball and a wild pitch to advance to third base. Wood drove the runner home to put NIU back on top, 4-3.

Starting pitcher Ben Neumann (Verona, Wis./Verona Area) posted scoreless frames in the third, fourth and sixth inning, allowing the tying run to cross in the fifth inning, 4-4. Neumann finished with four strikeouts and two walks in 6.0 innings of work.

In the final three innings, the Huskies put two runners on base but were unable to scratch across the go-ahead run. Reliever Donovin Sims (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) allowed one hit in the seventh but quelled the SIU threat in the frame and advanced to the eighth, where he retired the side in order.

In the ninth, Chase Slone singled to lead the inning and moved to third base after a sacrifice and a wild pitch. Sims would intentionally walk the bases loaded, before making way for Andrew Frankenreider (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap). Working to a 2-2 count, the sophomore hurler would walk the winning run across to give the Salukis the 5-4 win.

NIU will close the series tomorrow afternoon when it plays a doubleheader with SIU, starting at 1 p.m. Central at Itchy Jones Stadium.