Final Stats

NIU 9, EMU 5 

YPSILANTI, Mich. - Thanks to a hot start offensively and a strong relief performance on the mound by Joey Ceja (Ottawa, Ill./Heartland CC), the NIU baseball team (20-28, 13-9 MAC) won its series opener over Eastern Michigan (19-29, 9-10 MAC) Friday, 9-5.

Ceja picked up his first career win in 4.0 innings of work while Luke Yapp (Verona, Wis./Madison College) collected two hits and three RBI. Brandon Mallder (Bridgeview, Ill./St. Laurence) and Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) registered two RBI apiece with Zubek collecting two hits and Mallder recording a triple.

“Good teams don’t stay down too long and today was a good job of getting back on the horse. Great bounce back win for Huskieball. Ceja was fantastic out of the pen for us tonight. I’m excited for him, he works hard everyday and today he performed very well,” said Head Coach Mike Kunigonis. “We need to come to the ballpark tomorrow ready to win the weekend.”

After scoreless first two frames, the Huskies broke the shutout in the third as Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) singled to left field and advanced to second on a fielding error with one out. The senior went to third on a groundout to second and scored five pitches later on a passed ball with Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) to give NIU the 1-0 lead.

After Eastern Michigan answered with one run in the bottom of the third on a two-out triple, the Huskies responded with four runs in the top of the fourth inning to reclaim the lead, 5-1.

Leadoff batter Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) reached base via error to lead the inning, advancing to third on a double by Justin Fletcher (Pekin, Ill./Illinois Central College). With two men down and the bases loaded after a walk by Mallder, Yapp flared a single through the right side to plate two runs, 3-1. Zubek matched Yapp’s single as chopped it through the middle to give the Huskies a 5-1 lead.

The Huskies forced EMU to make a call to the bullpen in the top of the sixth as Wood, who led off with a double, scored on a Stephen Letz (Dyer, Ind., South Suburban College) single. The Eagles starter Michael Marsinek was forced off the rubber by NIU after only 4.1 innings, surrendering seven hits, surrendering six runs and two walks.

With reliever Kevin Shul stepping onto the bump, Brandon Mallder (Bridgeview, Ill./St. Laurence) tripled down the right field line to scratch across two more runs while Yapp drove in his third run of the game to increase the Huskies lead, 9-1.

Eastern Michigan responded with four runs of their own claw back within four runs, 9-5, as the Eagles totaled five hits in the inning. However, the NIU defense gained some momentum as they turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, setting up Ceja’s perfect sixth inning that included two punch outs.

The senior hurled 4.0 innings, including 3.0 perfect frames to start his night, striking out four batters to tie his career-high in his first win of the season. Ceja battled in the last inning as the defense made plays behind him to hold EMU scoreless in his time on the mound.

The Huskies and Eagles will resume the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch set for 2 p.m. Central.