DEKALB, IL – Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence), Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North), Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School), Connor Montgomery (Newport Beach, Calif./Canyon) and Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) each connected for a double as part of the Huskies 13-hit barrage Sunday, as they sent their senior class out in style with a 12-4 win over the University of Toledo at Ralph McKinzie Field.

Despite Toledo overcoming an early 1-0 Huskies' lead, NIU recaptured the momentum and the lead for good with a three-run bottom of the third inning to secure their 10th and final win at home as they improved to 17-31 overall, and 6-15 in the Mid-American Conference.

"Baseball is a crazy, cruel and very much rewarding game," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "Fantastic job by our guys for coming out and being ready to play today."

An RBI groundout from Jumonville in the second inning put the Huskies in front 1-0, but Toledo erased the deficit with one swing on a three-run home run to left-center field in the third. The Rockets' rally didn't last though as NIU pushed across three in its half – highlighted by RBI singles from Smith and Scooter Bynum (Fairbanks, Alaska /Arizona Western College). Wood then made it a 5-3 affair in the fourth when he ripped a hard run-scoring double down the left field line, allowing Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) to score.

On the mound, junior RHP William Anderson (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East) tossed 4 1/3 innings of five-hit ball. He gave up three earned runs while striking out five and walking only two. Seniors George Faue (Corcoan, Minn./Iowa Central) and Donovin Sims (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community) then closed out the final five innings with Faue tossing 4 1/3 and Sims a 1/3.

"Good start from Will today," Kunigonis said. "George was fantastic coming out of the pen and Donovin did a great job closing it out."

A Jumonville RBI double in the fifth made it a 6-3 affair, and Smith connected for a two-run double in the sixth before the Huskies finished off the scoring with three in the eighth on an error, a two-run Jumonville single and a Vega run-scoring single.

Vega, Wood, Szczasny, Smith and Jumonville each had a pair of hits for the Huskies, while Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North), Bynum and Montgomery each had one.  

Prior to the game, the Huskies honored their eight seniors – Bynum, Jumonville, Sims, Vega, Matthew Hoffmann (East Dubuque, Ill./Wahlert Catholic), Wood, Faue and Andrew Frankenreider (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) – for the hard work, dedication and commitment they've given to the program in their time as student-athletes.

"Thank you to our eight seniors for all they have done this year," Kunigonis said. "We have two weeks left to finish up strong and send them out on a high note."

NIU closes out the regular season with a seven-game road trip, starting with a three-game series at Bowling Green University May 11-13.

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