SAN ANTONIO, TX. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team bounced back in a big way in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday, as the Huskies connected for 14 hits and earned a 15-1 victory over the University of Incarnate Word.

After UIW held NIU to only one hit in the opener, the Huskies smacked three home runs – highlighted by a grand slam homer from senior Samuel Vega in the sixth inning. Vega finished 3 for 6 at the plate, driving in five runs with a home run, a double and a triple all while scoring three runs.

"Baseball is a crazy game. One minute you're down and out, and the next you're back on top," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "Another great character bounce back win for this group."

Junior pitcher Tanner Foster (St. Charles, Iowa/Southeastern Community College) earned the win on the mound as he tossed seven solid innings, and struck out three batters while walking only two. Matthew Hoffmann (East Dubuque, Ill./Wahlert Catholic), and Parker Kirkpatrick (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) came on in relief and fanned two batters in the final two innings.

"Tanner delivered when we needed it the most and gave us a chance to do what we did in game two," Kunigonis said.

NIU struck early and often as the Huskies plated three or more runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings. NIU snagged a 4-0 lead in the third inning when Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) connected for a two-run home run. Three more then came across in the fourth inning after Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) laced a run-scoring single up the middle, and Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) connected for a two-run home run.

After an RBI sacrifice fly from Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) made it an 8-0 affair in the fifth, Vega came up huge in the clutch as he smacked his second home run of the season, and the fourth of his career. Incarnate Word plated a run in the sixth, but Vega came through again for NIU in the seventh with a run-scoring double, and scored on Dunham's RBI double to left field.

Along with Vega, Szczasny, Dunham, Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) and Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College) each had two hits. Wood also drove in three runs.

In Game 1, UIW connected for 22 hits and seven runs in the fifth inning to earn a seven-inning victory. NIU had one hit – a Jumonville single in the seventh. Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) suffered the loss on the mound as he went 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters.

"We will enjoy this (Game 2 victory) for a little bit and get ready to split the weekend," Kunigonis said. "We'll have Michael (Lasiewicz) on the mound and I know he'll be ready to give us a go."

NIU closes out the series tomorrow afternoon with a single game at 11 a.m.

--NIU--