CHICAGO – The Northern Illinois University baseball team had its three-game winning streak snapped at Curtis Granderson Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, losing 8-3 to the UIC Flames.
 
"It was a disappointing outcome today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We grinded out three runs in the fifth to give ourselves a lead but it wasn't enough. We'll bounce back with a great day of practice tomorrow and be ready to go at Central Michigan this weekend."
 
NIU's (7-17) Ryan Anderson (Palatine, Ill./McHenry C.C.) and UIC's Braeden Toikka were locked in a pitcher's duel to start Tuesday's game. Toikka scattered three hits in the first four innings with five strikeouts, while Anderson retired the first nine batters he faced in order before a Matt Bottcher leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth. He then hit Ryan Lin-Peistrup with a pitch before a Scott Ota single brought in Bottcher to give UIC a 1-0 lead. The Flames then went up 2-0 as a David Becker sacrifice bunt scored Ota.
 
The Huskies rallied back in the top of the fifth. Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) and Connor Montgomery (Newport Beach, Calif./Canyon) led off with back-to-back singles. Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) then reached on a bunt as Larson beat Toikka's throw to third base. With one out, Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) ripped a two-RBI single to right field to tie the game. NIU then took the lead on a Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) sacrifice fly that scored McKermitt and gave the Huskies a 3-2 lead.
 
UIC (8-11) answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Ota delivered a one-out RBI single off Eric Hammer (Rochester, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) to tie the game 3-3. Thomas Smart followed with a double, which led to an NIU pitching change. Blake Walker (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) entered the game and struck out Becker for the second out. Thomas Hampe then laced a double down the left field line, scoring Ota and Smart to give the Flames a 5-3 lead. UIC loaded the bases with a walk and a single, then grew the lead to 6-3 on a Dominic Smith walk. The Flames added two runs in the seventh to go up 8-3.
 
"Ryan Anderson gave us a quality start today," Kunigonis said. "He put us in a great spot to have a chance to win. It was nice to see that from him."
 
After scoring three runs in the fifth, NIU was held to two hits in the final four innings. Hammer took the loss for NIU, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings. Anderson allowed two runs on two hits in four innings. Larson and Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Tuesday marked Dunham's fourth straight game with at least two hits.
 
NIU goes on the road this weekend for a three-game MAC series at Central Michigan, beginning Friday at 2 p.m.
 
--NIU--