DEKALB, IL – A perfect day at the plate for senior Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) led to a perfect ending for the Northern Illinois University baseball team Tuesday.

Vega, who finished an unblemished 5-for-5, scored the game-winning run as he crossed the plate on Kam Smith's (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) RBI sacrifice fly to left-center field, giving the Huskies a 5-4 walk-off win against Indiana State University at Ralph McKinzie Field. Vega's outing was the most hits by a Huskie hitter in a single game since the 2015 season.  

"Vega was lights out going 5 for 5 and scoring the game-winning run," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "Kam was fantastic in his game-winning at-bat battling with two strikes to get the job done."

After Indiana State overcame a 3-2 deficit with two runs in the fifth inning to claim a 4-3 advantage, Huskie pitchers Matthew Hoffmann (East Dubuque, Ill./Wahlert Catholic) and Parker Kirkpatrick (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) combined to retire 12 of the next 13 batters they faced.

"Hoff was very good out of the pen and Parker shut the door to get the win," Kunigonis said. "It was great to see that from our staff today."

NIU, which improved to 14-25 overall, fell behind 2-0 in the third inning on a two-run home run, but came back to tie the score with a pair in the fourth. A bases-loaded RBI walk from Alex Rodriguez (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) brought Smith home, and Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) came around on an RBI sacrifice fly from Hunter Bross (Scottsdale, Ariz./Mesa Community College). The Huskies then took a 3-2 lead when Vega connected for his third hit of the game – an RBI double to left field – allowing Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College) to score in the fourth.

ISU plated both its fifth-inning runs via solo home runs, but generated only one other base runner on a walk in the final four innings. Kirkpatrick earned his third win on the mound as he worked one inning of relief and struck out one batter. Hoffmann also fanned three batters in three innings of work out of the bullpen.

Along with Vega, Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and Jumonville each had a pair of hits, while Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence), Smith and Bynum each had one.

"We need to keep up the good vibes rolling into tomorrow," Kunigonis said.

The Huskies resume action tomorrow afternoon when they host NAIA opponent Robert Morris University for a 3 p.m. single game.
 
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