BOWLING GREEN, OH – Late-inning heroics from red shirt junior Hunter Bross (Scottsdale, Ariz./Mesa Community College) lifted the Northern Illinois University baseball team to a 4-3, 11-inning victory over Bowling Green Friday afternoon at Steller Field.

Bross smacked a leadoff home run to left field – his third of the season and the 11th of his career – as he put the Huskies in front for good as they earned their second-straight win in improving to 18-31 overall, and 7-15 in the Mid-American Conference.

"Hunter's homer was one of the biggest and hardest hit balls I've seen," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "The wind was howling in and he turned the wind around. It was a giant moment for him and the team."

Up until that point, the Huskies saw their 3-0 lead dwindle as the Falcons responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. From there however, neither team could gain much of an advantage.

"It was a great grind out win," Kunigonis said. "We made it a lot more difficult on ourselves than it needed to be but this group found a way to win."

An RBI single from Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) put the Huskies in front 1-0 in the first inning, and Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) laced a run-scoring single to center field in the second for a 2-0 NIU ledger. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) then made it a 3-0 Huskie lead in the fifth when Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) scored on a double play ball. But Bowling Green countered with two runs on an NIU error and one on an RBI single to third base to knot the score at 3-3.

Senior LHP George Faue (Corcoan, Minn./Iowa Central) made a spot start for the Huskies after slated starter Tanner Foster (St. Charles, Iowa/Southeastern Community College) was a late scratch, but Faue made the most of it as he fired 7 1/3 innings of four-hit ball. He didn't give up an earned run and struck out six batters while walking only two.

"George was fantastic making a spot start for us," Kunigonis said. "Great outing when we needed it the most. It was huge for him to step up for us."  

Sophomore RHP Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) came on in relief and tossed the final 3 2/3 innings to earn his first win of the season. He scattered three hits and fanned one batter.

"Nate came in and shut the door," Kunigonis said. "He battled out of some very tough spots which was great to see. We need to keep this momentum going into tomorrow's game."

RHP Michael Lasiewicz will take the mound for the Huskies tomorrow in the second game of the three-game set. First pitch is set for 12 noon.

--NIU--