Final Stats

MILWAUKEE - The NIU baseball team (21-31) closed its non-conference schedule Tuesday at UW-Milwaukee (32-18), dropping the final game of non-conference season, 11-2. Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) finished 2-for-4 with one run while Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI.

"It's a disappointing start to the final week of the regular season. We have struggled with a consistent approach all season and today it hurt us," said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis. "We have a three game set left at Ball State and we need to focus on winning one game at time and battle to stay in the MAC playoff race."

The Huskies drew first blood as Zubek singled with one out and advanced to second on a fielding error by left fielder Daulton Varsho. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Sisler drove in Zubek on a single to centerfield to put NIU on top, 1-0.

The Panthers equalized in the bottom of the frame on a groundout however, to tie the contest, 1-1. Scoring one more in the third and three more in the fourth, UWM increased their lead, 5-1, before NIU responded in the fifth.

A leadoff double by Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College) started the inning as he drove it down the left field line, followed by a second double down the left field line by Stephen Letz (Dyer, Ind./South Suburban College), which cut the Huskies deficit to three runs, 5-2.

Milwaukee scored in three of its last four innings at the plate, adding three more runs in the seventh, taking an 11-2 lead. The Panthers totaled 13 hits in the game, six for extra bases including a leadoff home run by Aaron Buban in the eighth.

The Huskies will close the regular season in the hunt for a Mid-American Conference Tournament berth when it heads to Ball State. Thursday's first pitch against the Cardinals is set for 2 p.m. Central.