DEKALB, IL – Fresh off a solid 5-3 win over the University of Notre Dame, the Northern Illinois University baseball team opens Mid-American Conference play with Central Michigan University this weekend.

Looking to build off its momentum of its first win over the Fighting Irish since the 1995 season, the Huskies return home after a 19-game road trip to start the season. Tuesday's victory snapped an eight-game losing streak for NIU as the pitching combination of Blake Walker (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard), Parker Kirkpatrick (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) and Andrew Frankenreider (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) helped the Huskies nail down the win.

The trio stymied ND hitters and kept the Irish' offense off balance by combining for 12 strikeouts against only five walks. Kirkpatrick earned the win – his first of the year – as he worked five innings. Frankenreider meanwhile picked up the save and sent ND down in order in the ninth inning.

After Notre Dame took a 1-0 lead in the third, freshman Alex Rodriguez (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) tied things up for NIU in the fifth as he laced his first collegiate hit – an RBI single through the left side – allowing Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) to score. A Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill. /Lincoln-Way North) sacrifice fly, plating Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) then put the Huskies in front 2-1. Notre Dame did tie it at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame, but NIU came up with the cushion it needed in the sixth inning.

Szczasny roped an RBI single to left field, bringing home Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College), and senior Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College) cracked a deep two-run double to right-center field, allowing both Szczasny and Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) to come around.

Vega led the offense with a pair of hits and a run scored as NIU smacked seven hits against Notre Dame's three. Despite four NIU errors, the Huskies also stranded Notre Dame runners on base.

Friday's doubleheader will begin at noon, while the final game of the series will be played either Saturday or Sunday, weather permitting.

--NIU--