Final Stats

MUNCIE, Indiana - The NIU baseball team (22-33, 10-17 MAC) closed its 2015 season Saturday afternoon at Ball State (30-23, 14-13 MAC), accounting for seven hits, including home runs by Carl Russell (Grayslake, Ill./Grayslake North) and Nate Ruzich (Joliet, Ill./South Suburban College). It wasn't enough however, as the Huskies fell to the Cardinals, 9-3.

Both of Northern Illinois University's homers came in the top of the sixth inning and were solo home runs, marking the first time March 1 at Tennessee Tech that NIU hit two home runs in the same inning.

Head Coach Mike Kunigonis closes his first season at the helm of the program with a 22-33 record and a 10-17 record in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies 22 wins in 2015 were the fifth-most under a first year head coach in program history.

"Thank you to our fans, alumni and family for all the support this year. I wish we could have played a little longer but Huskieball will bounce back and look to win a MAC title next year," said Kunigonis. "Thank you to our five seniors for all their efforts this year. They are a group of young men with tremendous character. I couldn't have asked for a better group of leaders to join me in my first head coaching position. I look forward to a great summer of recruiting and we will be back at it at The Ralph in late August."

After two and a half scoreless innings, the Cardinals struck first as they scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning with three hits in the frame. NIU hurler Seth Fuller (Moline, Ill./Black Hawk College) held the first 10 batters he faced hitless in the game, fanning two of those batters.

The Huskies got on the board in the fifth as Russell reached second on a fielding error at shortstop. With two outs, Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) and Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) pushed Russell to third and home, respectively, to cut the Huskie deficit in half, 2-1.

BSU responded in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs as Jarett Rindfleisch hit a three-run home run to increase its lead, 5-1. With the rain falling in the top of the sixth, the Huskies would fight their way back to within two runs as Ruzich hit a solo home run over the left field fence.

Following Ruzich's homer, a 44 minute rain delay ensued. After play resumed, Russell hit NIU's second home run of the inning to claw the Huskies back within two runs, 5-3. The Cardinals would account for four more runs in the bottom of the seventh to give themselves their biggest lead of the day at six runs, 9-3.

Wood was the lone Huskies to account for multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the fifth. Russell scored two of NIU's runs in the game. Senior Kevin Sweeney (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) caught two batters looking at a called strike three in 2.0 innings of work.

For more news on the NIU baseball program, visit NIUHuskies.com. Follow the team and Coach Kunigonis on Twitter @NIU_Baseball and @MikeKunigonis.