MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team needed extra innings to earn its first win of the 2019 season, defeating the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 3-2 in 10 innings at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
 
"Today was a great team win," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "Our veteran middle of the order got it done late when we needed them the most."
 
NIU (1-4) opened the scoring in the top of the second. With one out, Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) reached on an infield single. He then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by MTSU catcher Aaron Antonini. Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) brought Drobushevich in to score on an RBI groundout to second base, making the score 1-0. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) then knocked a base hit to third baseman Drew Huff, whose throwing error allowed Lonteen to score and put the Huskies up 2-0.
 
Freshman Erik Hedmark (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) retired 12 of the first 14 Blue Raider batters he faced, allowing one walk and one hit in the first four innings. MTSU (2-2) put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Antonini led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. JT Mabry then drew a walk. After Brett Stratinsky lined out to Lonteen at shortstop, Darrell Freeman Jr. hit a single to left center to drive in Antonini and make the score 2-1. The Blue Raiders tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the sixth. Myles Christian laced a one-out double down the right field line off of NIU reliever Tristan Michaels (Barrington, Ill./Triton College). After a groundout moved Christian to third base with two outs, Michaels balked which brought Christian around to score.
 
Michaels settled in and retired the side in MTSU's half of the seventh and the eighth. The Blue Raiders threatened to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. MTSU had runners at first and second after a Parker walk and Antonini single with one out. NIU then went to the bullpen for Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian), who struck out Mabry and pinch-hitter Blake Benefield to end the inning and take the game to the tenth.
 
Szczasny led off the top of the tenth with a double to centerfield. After Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) lined out, Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) hit an RBI single to centerfield to give NIU a 3-2 lead. Thomas made that lead hold up as MTSU went up and out in order in the bottom of the tenth.
 
Smith was 3-for-5 at the plate in the game with the game-winning RBI. Szczasny, Lonteen, and Drobushevich each had a pair of hits for the Huskies. Thomas retired all five batters he faced to earn the win, striking out three. Hedmark allowed one run on three hits, with two walks and three strikeouts in his first career start.
 
"Erik was fantastic on the mound and answered the bell for us today in his first career start," Kunigonis said. "Our bullpen was very good and Nate was great closing it out for us. We have some things to work on, for sure, but it was great to get the first win of the year."
 
NIU continues play in the Mule Mix Classic with a 4 p.m. game at Lipscomb on Friday.
 
--NIU--