DEKALB, IL – Western Michigan picked up the series' win over the Northern Illinois University baseball team Sunday, as the Broncos smacked 17 hits en route to a 10-4 win at Ralph McKinzie Field.

WMU tallied four runs in the second inning, single tallies in the fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth innings, coupled with two in seventh to earn their 13th win of the season and third in the Mid-American Conference. NIU moved to 9-20 overall, and 3-6 in the MAC.

"Disappointing finish this weekend," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "We saw some good things, and saw many things we need to improve on."

Despite the loss, the Huskies connected for nine hits with sophomore Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) highlighting the offense with a two-run home run to right field in the eighth inning. Red shirt junior Hunter Bross (Scottsdale, Ariz./Mesa Community College) also roped a run-scoring triple to left-center field in the fifth inning, plating Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School).

"We have to keep battling and keep working," Kunigonis said. "Next week is a five-game week and a good opportunity to get things right again."

After Western Michigan took a 6-0 lead through four and half innings, the Huskies' bats came alive in the bottom half of the fifth. Following Bross' extra base hit, senior Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) then drove in Bross on an RBI single to left-center field. WMU's offense proved to be too much for NIU's pitching staff however as the Huskies used four different arms. Senior George Faue (Corcoan, Minn./Iowa Central) took the loss as he worked four innings. He struck out three batters.

Both Szczasny and Connor Montgomery (Newport Beach, Calif./Canyon) led the Huskies' offense with two hits apiece. Montgomery meanwhile upped his season batting average to nearly .200 as he hit .571 with an RBI, and a run scored in the final two games of the series. Vega, Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North), Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College), Smith and Bross also each had a hit in the finale.

"We will be ready to go against UIC Tuesday," Kunigonis said.

NIU resumes play April 10 as it closes out its three-game series with the Flames with a 3 p.m. single game.

--NIU--