Final Stats

CHICAGO - Tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning, the NIU baseball team (18-26) scored four runs in the inning to reclaim its lead over UIC (20-18-1) Tuesday night at Granderson Stadium, 8-4. Senior Kevin Sweeney (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) tossed 2.2 innings of relief, allowing zero hits and walks to pick up his first win of the season.

Freshman Kevin Jones (Chesterton, Ind./Portage) hurled a season-best 6.1 innings as the NIU starter, striking out two and scattering six hits on the day. The effort was the Huskies longest midweek performance from a starting pitcher this season.

"It was good to get the series win at UIC tonight. Our guys battled and grinder the entire game. We need to continue working on stopping/limiting the big inning," said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis. "The good thing that came out of us giving up four runs to tie the game was our guys came back answered with four of our own the very next half inning.

"We are starting to play solid baseball as a team and need to continue momentum down the home stretch," Kunigonis added.

NIU opened its scoring in the second as Micah McCulloch (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Township) and Tony Brandner (Richfield, Wis./Winthrop) led the frame with singles to left field. The pair both reached scoring position with no outs on a wild pitch but it was McCulloch who would score as Carl Russell (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake North) grounded to the shortstop to put NIU on top, 1-0.

In the fifth, the Huskies would double their lead to go up 2-0 as McCulloch would again score after walking with two outs and reaching third on a pair of wild pitches. Russell scored the senior on a grounder to the shortstop

With a lead on his Jones hit his comfort zone as he retired the Flames 1-2-3 in the fifth and sixth innings, catching one batter looking at called strike three in the fifth.

The shutdown momentum from the mound would carry over to the plate for Northern Illinois University as it again doubled its lead in the sixth, scoring two runs on an error and a fielder's choice to go ahead of the Flames, 4-0.

Smith led off the inning with a double to left field and reached third on an infield groundout. Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) was hit by a pitch with two outs and down 0-2 in the count. He promptly stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, setting up Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./Dekalb) and McCulloch, who'd knock in runners a grounders to the left side as Sisler reached base via error and McCulloch was safe on a fielder's choice.

UIC responded after the seventh inning stretch as it tied the game, dinging Jones for three runs and reliever Donovin Sims (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community) for one with one out in the frame, 4-4. Sweeney righted the ship as he forced an unassisted double play to McCulloch at first to end the threat.

NIU reclaimed the lead and again doubled it in the eighth as McCullloch drove in Zubek from second on a single to left field, putting the Huskies in front, 5-4. Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) drove in two runs with the bases loaded as he placed a bunt between the plate and the pitchers mound, reaching base to make it a 6-4 NIU lead. A sacrifice fly by Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) and an infield single by Jason Gasser (Dyer, Ind./Mt. Carmel) improved the Huskies lead, 8-4.

NIU will return to action Wednesday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field when it hosts Valparaiso. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. Central.