DEKALB – The NIU baseball team (9-25. 5-6 MAC) dropped the second game of their series against Kent State (19-11, 7-1 MAC) 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field. Three of the four runs scored by the Golden Flashes were by runners who got on via a walk or a hit by pitch.
 
"Unfortunately we gave them way too many free bases and they made us pay for it," Head Coach Mike Kunigonis said. "Four of the five total runs in the game reached on either a walk or getting hit by a pitch."
 
Kent State jumped on top in the first off of NIU starter Nathan Thomas who hit the leadoff man then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Followed by a fielder's choice, single and a sacrifice fly, Thomas was able to escape more damage than two runs. In the second inning, Thomas walked the first batter of the inning and Kunigonis had seen enough, removing Thomas after working one inning and one batter and turning to William Anderson.
 
Anderson pitched six innings out of the bullpen, allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Those two walks came in the fifth inning leading to a two-run home run by Kent State's Dylan Rosa, who homered in back-to-back games against the Huskies.
 
"We need to be better at limiting their opportunities and be better at taking advantage of opportunities on the offensive side of the ball," Kunigonis said. "We had a good opportunity in the fourth inning and only came away with one, we need to have better at bats in those situations."
 
In that fourth inning, NIU got their first three runners on base as Samuel Vega was hit with a pitch, Tommy Szczasny singled after a long at bat and Jacob Dunham turned a sacrifice bunt attempt into a single. The Huskies then rolled into a double play ball that scored one run and failed to score the potential tying run from third.
 
Kent State starting pitcher Zach Willeman settled in from that point on completing seven innings allowing just that one run on four hits and two walks for his fifth win of the year. Lefty Jared Skolnicki came out of the bullpen to pitch the eighth and ninth to earn his second save of the season.
 
Other than Anderson's six quality innings out of the pen, the Huskies were highlighted individually by Joe Jumonville's two hit performance and freshmen pitchers Jacob Delabio and Eric Hammer each pitching a scoreless inning out of the NIU bullpen.
 
"We need to come to the ball park tomorrow fighting to get a game in this series," Kunigonis said.
 
The series finale will be tomorrow at the Ralph scheduled for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. NIU's Donovin Sims is scheduled to face off against Joey Murray of Kent State in efforts to avoid a sweep.