DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team opened Mid-American Conference play on the right foot Friday, earning a 6-3 win over the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ralph McKinzie Field.
"It's always good to get game one on Friday," said head coach
Mike Kunigonis. "Anytime you can get out to a lead on Friday with your guy on the mound is a positive, and we kept on battling."
NIU (5-16, 1-0 MAC) got on the board first in the second inning.
Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) was hit by a Scott Granzatto pitch to leadoff the inning.
Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) followed with a single to right field.
Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) then knocked a base hit through the left side of the infield, bringing in Szczasny for the game's first run. With two outs, freshman
Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) hit an RBI single up the middle to make the score 2-0.
Sophomore starting pitcher
Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) got out of a jam in the top of the third. After striking out both Taylor Hopkins and Cameron Cruz to start the inning, Lasiewicz allowed his first hit of the game on a Zachary Owings infield single. After walking Jeff Timko, the sophomore got Nick Jones to line out to Lonteen at shortstop to end the Eastern Michigan threat.
The Huskies added two more runs in the bottom of the third.
Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) led off with a single, getting to second base on a
Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) ground out. Szczasny then singled to left field, moving Dunham to third. Lonteen brought in Dunham with an RBI groundout to give NIU a 3-0 lead. With runners at the corners and two out,
Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) put a bunt past Granzotto to score Szczasny and make the score 4-0.
Eastern Michigan (3-17-1, 0-1 MAC) got on the board in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Shane Easter, making the score 4-1. The Huskies got that run back in the bottom half of the inning when a Mutter sacrifice fly gave NIU a 5-1 advantage. Lasiewicz left another two runners on base in the top of the sixth, ending his day allowing one run on two hits while walking seven Eagles.
The Eagles had a chance to potentially tie the game down 6-1 in the eighth.
Parker Kirkpatrick (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence), who retired the side in order in the seventh, allowed three straight singles to leadoff the inning. Kunigonis went to the bullpen for left-handed reliever
Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.). An error on a groundball in the infield allowed Timko to score and make the score 6-2. Nate Jones then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, bringing in Nick Jones to get Eastern Michigan within three at 6-3. Seebach then got Easter to ground out and struck out Jacob Bolton looking to end the inning.
Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) retired the side in order in the ninth to lock up the win for the Huskies.
"Kyle has been awesome," Kunigonis said. "He should have gotten out of that inning clean, but he's been fantastic and a big part of our success."
Drobushevich and Dunham each had two hits for NIU, with Mutter recording two RBI. Szczasny reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 1-for-1 with two walks and four runs scored. Lasiewicz earned his third straight win while Thomas recorded his third save of the year.
Game two of this weekend's series is Saturday at 1 p.m.
--NIU--
