YPSILANTI, MI – Another solid offensive performance went by the wayside for the Northern Illinois University baseball team as they fell 4-2 to host Eastern Michigan University at Oestrike Stadium Friday night.

The Huskies shelled out their second-straight double-digit hit count – 12 in all – but stranded 11 runners on base as they lost their fourth-straight game and moved their overall record to 19-36 and 8-18 in the Mid-American Conference.

"Another tough day today," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "But this group continues to battle until the very end."

NIU did just that, and had a chance to overcome the deficit in the top of the eighth inning on back-to-back singles from Ty Jandrowski (Kenosha, Wis./Madison College) and Hunter Bross (Scottsdale, Ariz./Mesa Community College) with one out, but the next two batters unfortunately went down in order.

Eastern Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single up the middle, then made it a 2-0 affair in the third on a two-run home run to left field. A Huskie miscue in the fifth inning led to the Eagles' fourth run, but NIU was able to trim the deficit in half in the seventh. After Bross led off with a double to center field, senior Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College) brought him in on a single to center. Bynum then came around after Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) singled, and a throwing error from the third baseman.

"We've been putting the barrel on the ball but haven't been able to get the hit with runners in scoring position the past couple of days," Kunigonis said. "We need to straighten that out for the final game."

Starting pitcher Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) lasted six innings and fanned seven batters. He yielded only three hits and three earned runs.
Of the Huskies' 12 hits, Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence), Szczasny, Jandrowski, Bross and Bynum each had two hits while Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) and Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) each had a hit.

"We will bounce back tomorrow and be ready to go," Kunigonis said.

NIU closes out the regular season with a 12 p.m. CT game, weather permitting. RHP William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) will take the mound for the Huskies.  

--NIU--