CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University baseball team dropped the opening game of its weekend series against the Southern Illinois Salukis 3-1 Friday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium.
"Today was a classic Friday pitcher's duel, plain and simple," said head coach
Mike Kunigonis. "It was two left-handed pitchers, both with some moxy, going at each other. SIU just made one more play than we did today."
NIU's (2-10)
Erik Hedmark (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) and SIU's (7-4) Brad Harrison kept the two offenses off the scoreboard in the first two innings, allowing just one runner to reach base. The Salukis manufactured the game's first run in the bottom of the third. Colin Butkiewicz led off the inning with a double, then moved to third when Grey Epps grounded out to
Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) at first base. Brad Hudson followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, driving in Butkiewicz to give SIU a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies got their first hit of the ballgame in the top of the fourth.
Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) reached on an infield single with two outs, then stole second base. He was left at second when Harrison struck out
Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North). Hedmark worked around an error, a balk, and a walk in the bottom half of the inning by getting T.J. Weber to ground into a double play to end the frame.
NIU had a chance to tie the game in the sixth. Larson led off the inning with a single to left field.
Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) then dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Larson to second base. Larson then got to third on a groundout by
Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline). With two outs, Harrison struck out
Josh Mutter (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) to end the threat. SIU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Ian Walters.
The Huskies got that run back in the top of the seventh. After a one-out walk by Dunham,
Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) hit an infield single to give NIU runners at first and second. Dunham then advanced to third after
Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward's School) flew out to Hudson in right field.
Connor Montgomery (Newport Beach, Calif./Canyon) then drove in Dunham with a single to right field to make the score 2-1.
In the eighth, the Huskies had two runners on base with one out after a Drobushevich single and Mutter walk. Szczasny then hit into a fielder's choice, with Mutter out at second and Drobushevich tagged out at third to end the inning. SIU added an insurance run to take a 3-1 lead into the ninth. Salukis closer Trey McDaniel retired the Huskies in order in the final inning to lock up the win for SIU.
Hedmark allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in a season-long seven innings. He had four strikeouts for the third time in four appearances this season. Harrison struck out eight in eight innings for the win, allowing one run on five hits.
The two teams resume their series on Saturday, March 9 at 2 p.m.
--NIU--
