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Joe Hawks
11
Winner Northern Illinois NIU 16-36, 10-13 MAC
7
Miami MIAMI 22-33, 8-15 MAC
Winner
Northern Illinois NIU
16-36, 10-13 MAC
11
Final
7
Miami MIAMI
22-33, 8-15 MAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Northern Illinois NIU 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 6 11 11 2
Miami MIAMI 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 7 9 0

W: Thomas, Nate (4-4) L: ALMQUIST, Andy (3-3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Huskies Fight For Their Right To Join The MAC Tournament Party

NIU baseball wins extra-inning thriller 11-7 in 11 innings against Miami (Ohio)

OXFORD, Ohio – The NIU baseball team (16-36, 10-13 MAC) won game two of their series against Miami (Ohio) (22-33, 8-15 MAC) 11-7 in extra innings Friday night. The Huskies scored six runs in the 11th inning after the Redhawks tied the game in the 9th scoring two runs. With the win, NIU clinched a spot in the MAC tournament for the second-straight year for the first time since the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
 
"Two teams battling for their season met today and what came from it was a roller coaster ride of back and forth action," Head Coach Mike Kunigonis said. "This team never quit, kept battling adversity and came up huge."
 
The Huskies' 11th inning was sparked by back to back infield singles from Roderick Bynum and Samuel Vega followed by an RBI double from Tommy Szczasny. Joe Jumonville added an RBI on a bases loaded walk, Alec Barger knocked a two-RBI single into left and Tommy Hook flew a ball into left field in a tough sky for a two-RBI triple.
 
NIU starting pitcher Joe Hawks had one of his best performances of the season, going six and two-thirds innings allowing only two hits, two runs, one earned run and striking out eight batters.
 
"Hawks was a warrior today, he put his team on his back early and kept us in it." Kunigonis said. "We also had huge hits from a number of different guys today."
 
NIU was down 2-1 going to the seventh inning when Brad Wood ripped a two-RBI triple into left center field to give NIU a 3-2 lead. The Huskies extended their lead to 4-2 on an RBI double from Jesus Tovar III down the left field line, they later extended a 4-3 lead to 5-3 when Vega knocked an RBI single into right field.
 
With the Huskies still up 5-3 in the ninth inning, Miami scored two runs after a leadoff hit by pitch followed by doubles from Dallas Hall and Ross Haffey. NIU freshman pitcher Nathan Thomas came in relief with one out in the ninth to finish the game through the 11th inning, going two and two-thirds innings, striking out six of 11 batters faced, allowing two runs in the 11th on a Haffey home run.
 
These two teams will play their series finale tomorrow at noon CT with Miami still having an opportunity to clinch a spot in the MAC tournament with a win. For score and game time updates follow NIU baseball online at niuhuskies.com and on Twitter @NIU_Baseball.
 
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