RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team opened its 2019 season Saturday at Totman Stadium, dropping two close games to the California Baptist University Lancers by scores of 8-4 and 4-2.
 
"We saw a lot of good things out there today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We battled and fought every step of the way. [Ty] Jandrowski pitched a heck of a game in game two. We just came up a little short for him."
 
Game two started as a pitcher's dual between NIU's (0-2) Ty Jandrowski (Kenosha, Wis./Madison College) and CBU's Andrew Bash, with neither starter allowing a run in the first three innings. The Huskies got on the board in the top of the fourth. Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) led off the inning with a double to left field. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) then ripped a single up the middle to score Szczasny and put the Huskies ahead 1-0. NIU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) and Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After both runners advanced on a Bash throwing error, Connor Montgomery (Newport Beach, Calif./Canyon) hit an RBI groundout to score Smith.
 
Jandrowski retired the first eight batters he faced in the game, allowing two hits and a walk in the first five innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lancers tied the game on a two-out, two-run home run by Ryan Mota. Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College) came in for Jandrowski and struck out Harrison Spohn to end the inning and keep the game tied at two. CBU took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Luke Navigato led off the inning with a home run to left center. Michaels then retired Chad Castillo and Bash, but Mota hit his second home run of the game to make the score 4-2. Matt Amrhein came in to close the game in the ninth and retired the Huskies in order to give the Lancers the sweep of the doubleheader.
 
Szczasny was 2-for-3 with a walk in the nightcap. Jandrowski allowed two runs in 5.2 innings, striking out two with four hits and a walk. Michaels pitch 2.1 innings of relief with four strikeouts.
 
In game one, the Lancers got to NIU starting pitcher Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) early with three straight hits to load the bases. Lasiewicz held CBU to just one run as Mota grounded into a double play that scored the leadoff hitter Navigato, then got Spohn to fly out. The Huskies took the lead in the top of the second as solo home runs by Montgomery and Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) put NIU ahead 2-1.
 
CBU (2-0) tied the game in the bottom of the second when Jojn Glenn led off the inning with a home run to left field. With runners at first and second with one out, Navigato drove in two runs with a double to give the Lancers a 4-2 lead. NIU came back to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) reached on a dropped third strike to lead off the frame. Drobushevich then singled to left, followed by a bunt single by Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) to load the bases. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) drove in McKermitt with a sacrifice fly to center field to make the score 4-3. Szczasny then brought in Drobushevich on an RBI groundout to level the game at four.
 
The Lancers broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth. Smith led off with a single and got to second base after a Lasiewicz wild pitch. Rockefeller then dropped a sacrifice bunt to get Smith to third. Following a walk to Angelo Capolupo, Parker Kirkpatrick (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) came into the game for Lasiewicz. Capolupo stole second to give CBU runners at second and third with one out. Navigato then reached on an infield single, scoring Rory Smith to give the Lancers a 5-4 lead. Castillo then smashed a three-run homer to make the score 8-4. CBU's Logan Rinehart and Bryan Pope made that lead hold. Rinehart pitched a perfect seventh to finish his day with seven strikeouts, allowing four runs on four hits. Pope allowed one hit in the final two innings to close the CBU victory.
 
Lasiewicz struck out seven in 5.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks. Drobushevich was 2-for-3 in game one with his first career home run.
 
NIU and CBU will play another doubleheader on Sunday to close the weekend. Game one will be a nine-inning game at 11 a.m., followed by a seven-inning game.
 
--NIU--