Final Stats

DeKALB - Driving in the first two runs of the game and picking up his first career victory on the mound in 4.0 innings of work, senior Micah McCulloch (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Township) helped lead the NIU baseball team (19-26) to its fourth-straight victory, defeating Valparaiso (17-22) at Ralph McKinzie Field, 5-3. McCulloch fanned two batters and only allowed two hits in four scoreless frames.

Senior Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College) went 1-for-3 at the plate, driving in the winning run and an insurance run on a single to left field in the sixth inning. McCulloch finished 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly while Alex Smith (Mahomet, Ill./Parkland College) was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Northern Illinois University opened the scoring in the first and third innings as McCulloch scored Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) from second on a single to straight away centerfield to open the game. McCulloch scored Zubek again on a sacrifice fly as Zubek led the inning with a double and advanced to third on a fly out by Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb).

McCulloch was solid on the hill in his four inning effort, allowing only two hits and two walks in the game. He gave way to Matthew Hoffman (East Dubuque, Ill./Wahlert Catholic) in the fifth frame, who continued the shutout over his two innings of work. Hoffman only allowed one hit and one walk.

In the bottom of the sixth, NIU added three insurance runs to take a 5-0 lead as the Huskies rattled off five-consecutive hits with two outs, scoring Wes Sery (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West), who started the two-out rally, Carl Russell (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake North) and Smith.

Valpo responded in the next two innings as it scored two runs off reliever Ryan Olson (Sterling, Ill./Newman Central Catholic) in the seventh and one unearned run off of Kevin Sweeney (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) in the eighth.

Andrew Frankenreider (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) slammed the door on the Crusaders in the ninth inning as he retired the side in order to pick up his seventh save of the season.

NIU will return to action Friday afternoon when it heads to Mt. Pleasant, Mich., to take on Central Michigan. The three-game set will begin May 1 at 2 p.m. Central.